Harboring
by YungVodkaDikost
Summary: While on her way back from a solo mission, Lucy comes across two boys that look vaguely familiar. With no memories of their pasts and their adult bodies gone, Lucy takes it upon herself to take the boys in. After bringing them to Fairy Tail, more and more changes are on the horizon. How will Lucy and her boys cope with the changes? Will she be able to help their prayers come true?
1. Chapter 1

**So...uh...I decided to return to the Fairy Tail fandom for awhile. Been awhile since I've even had an interest in the fandom and my need to write this story just kinda smacked me in the face and refused to go away until I sat down and wrote. So here we are with my return to the Fairy Tail fandom. You have no idea how many times I accidentally wrote 'Sakura' instead of 'Lucy' and had to smack myself for mixing up the fandom I was writing.**

 **Anyway...**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story. Won't lie, almost wrote Naruto instead of Fairy Tail. I need to get my shit together, I swear.**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow! Positive feedback equals motivation to continue the story.**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper.**

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Lucy sighed as she listened to the sound of her feet connecting with the cobblestone below. She had just completed another solo mission and, as always, she had actually gotten the full award. Since Master had decided to break up Team Natsu, she had been forced to become a solo mage. In the beginning, she had not been happy about his decision to break her team apart. But after she had taken some time to really think about his choice, she came to an easy understanding. Her team had been one of the most destructive and they rarely walked away with any of the reward money. If anything, they had usually ended up owing the town money. Her teammates had been lucky and didn't have to worry about paying bills like rent. Lucy, on the other hand, couldn't afford to take a pay cut. And so, four months after the disbandment of her team, her pockets were actually lined with money.

It wasn't to say that she didn't miss working with her team, because she truly did. But the fact that she didn't have to scramble at the end of each month to gather the fund to pay her rent was a huge weight off her shoulders. But more than anything, she missed the company of her team. Since its disbandment, her former teammates rarely found time to talk to her. When they were actually at the guild, they always seemed to preoccupied with something else to ask her how she was doing. They never approached her and that bothered her to no end. Just because their team wasn't together anymore didn't mean that their friendship needed to end. Every time she would try to talk to them, they would give her a strange look and go back to whatever they had been doing.

Their easy dismissal of her was what hurt the most and after two months of trying to get through to them, she finally gave up and attempted to move on with her life. So far, it had been a nice change of pace, if not a bit lonely if she was completely honest with herself. She was so used to having someone constantly by her side and having a random body in her apartment that the sudden emptiness seemed to eat her up inside.

Sometimes when she would return home, she rush back to her home and hope that they'd had a change of heart and had broken into her home during her home. She had actually hoped that she would walk into her house and find that all of her food had been eaten by Natsu and Happy. She had hoped that she would walk in her door and immediately trip over Gray's discarded clothing. Hell, she hoped that she would walk into her home and find Erza's swords sticking out of her wall or find the red head digging through her panties.

But that never happened, not once did her hopes become reality. And it truly stung.

As she made her way out of the city gates, opting to take her time and walk back to the guild instead of riding the train, a small whimper broke her out of her thoughts. Her brow furrowed in confusion at the sound and she twisted her head back and forth, looking for the source of the strange noise. When she didn't see anything but the surrounding trees and bushes, she shrugged and continued on her way.

When she heard the sound again, she stopped and looked around again, silently wondering where in the world the sound was coming from. It didn't sound like any animal that she had ever heard of, but then again, there were still a lot of things that surprised her in this world. When she heard the sound again, she decided to throw caution to the wind and followed the sound.

After about ten minutes of battling against tree limbs and tripping over branches on the forest floor, Lucy finally managed to break through the treeline and into a small clearing. She heard the whimper again, louder this time, and turned her head towards the sound. Her eyes locked with the person responsible for the whimpering and her eyes widened a fraction, her jaw landing somewhere around her knees.

Lucy quickly shook her head and regained her composure before taking in the appearance of the children sitting mere feet away from her. One child had spiky, maroon colored hair, caramel colored skin, and deep, indigo eyes that seemed to stare into her very soul. She noticed his tense posture and watched him curl himself almost protectively around his sleeping companion. She saw him flinch when the sleeping child let out a terrified whimper in his sleep.

She turned her attention to the sleeping child that she had heard whimper. His two toned, black and white hair was in an interesting style. It reminded her almost like a glorified glam-rock look that seemed to suit him perfectly. His skin was as pale as fallen snow, the only thing paler than it was his hair. She noticed that both boys were dressed the same, simple black t-shirts and black shorts that ended at their knees. She frowned when she noticed that neither of them were wearing shoes.

The two children that looked oddly familiar were curled around each other against a large tree. The two-toned haired child lay whimpering next to his friend, while the maroon haired one stared at her with an almost terrified and lost expression. Lucy wracked her brain, trying to figure out where she knew these children from, she could have sworn that she had seen them before somewhere. Not knowing what else to do, she started to slowly walk up to them. She saw the maroon haired child tense further and stopped mere feet away from them. She dropped herself to the ground and sat cross legged across from them, not wanting to startle either of them, even if one of them was sleeping.

"Is your friend okay?", Lucy asked gently, pointing her finger towards the whimpering child.

"I...I think he's having a nightmare. I can't wake him up, I tried everything.", the maroon haired boy whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

"May I try to help?", she asked with a small smile. Unless the boy was okay with her approach, she wouldn't move from her spot. She was a stranger and she had given this child no reason to trust her.

"Do you really think you can help him?", the boy asked, his gaze falling to his sleeping friend.

"I think I might be able to. May I try?", she replied with a nod.

The boy just nodded at her and she couldn't help but widen her smile at the boy. She lifted herself from the ground and took a moment to wipe the dirt off the bottom of her jeans and walked towards the two young boys. Once she was directly in front of them, she lowered herself to her knees in front of them. She slowly lifted the sleeping boy away from his friend and cradled him close to her body. She leaned back until she was sitting on her rear again and wrapped a supporting arm around the boy's shoulders before she started to run her free hand through his hair. She whispered soothing words into her hair and rocked him slowly back and forth.

The maroon haired boy watched in awe as his friend's whimpers and cries ceased and the tension in his body slowly went away. He sighed a little in relief and took a moment to take in the sight of the random woman who had found them. Long, mid-back length hair flowed freely down her back. Big, doe brown eyes locked onto his friend's face, a small smile playing on her lips. Her jean covered legs were crossed comfortably on the forest floor and her green, v-neck shirt was dusty from the forest floor. He felt like he had seen this woman somewhere before but couldn't think of where. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember a whole lot of anything.

"Just who are you anyway? Why are you helping us?", he asked with narrowed eyes, his body moving to sit beside the blonde that was currently rocking his friend.

"My name is Lucy and I am helping you because you looked like you needed it. And just who are you, kiddo? Where are your parents?", Lucy replied easily. She couldn't blame the poor kid for being a little suspicious, she would be too if she was in his shoes. She moved her gaze over to him and waited for him to respond, not once ceasing her rocking. Her fingers continued to sift through the child in her lap's hair.

"I'm Cobra and my friend is Midnight. We don't have parent's and I don't know where we came from, I can't even remember how we ended up here.", the child, Cobra, muttered. He lifted a curious eyebrow when Lucy's eyes widened a fraction when he told her their names. Maybe she knew who they were?

"Well, this just got interesting.", she muttered to herself before shaking her head. "You don't remember anything at all, Cobra?", she asked, making sure that she hadn't heard him wrong. If these two truly were the Cobra and Midnight that she had met before, she was in for quite the interesting rest of the day.

"I just remember a bright light and then everything going dark. I woke up here a little while ago. Midnight hasn't woken up the entire time I've been awake.", Cobra confirmed with a grimace.

"That's rough, you don't have anywhere to go, do you?", she asked with a frown.

"No, I was going to ask Midnight for ideas once he woke up but I don't know when he'll be doing so. He sleeps a lot and I never know when he'll wake up again.", he replied with a small, frustrated sigh.

Lucy's brows furrowed in confusion, this situation was getting more and more interesting by the second. First, she had stumbled upon the child like forms of two people who had tried to kill her at least twice in the past few years. From what it sounded like, Cobra had no memory of his life before being turned into a child, including his memories of herself. Next, while he didn't have any memory of his life before being turned into a child, he still retained all of his memories of Midnight. To a certain extent, at least. She was at a loss, she had no idea what to do in this situation. She quickly decided that she couldn't just leave these two sitting out in the forest with no where to go.

Yes, they had technically tried to kill her a few times, but she was a firm believer in second chances. She had given Gajeel a second chance, after all. And the Iron Slayer had pretty much beaten her within an inch of her life. She had forgiven Laxus and his team for their failed attempt at taking over the guild. If she could forgive other people who had hurt her in the past, what was stopping her from doing the same for Midnight and Cobra? Especially since they both couldn't remember a damn thing. Well, she assumed that Midnight was missing his memories just like Cobra. Seeing as the child was still asleep, it was kind of hard to ask him if he was having issues with his memory as well.

So, she did the only thing she could do.

"I have an idea but it is completely up to you and your friend.", Lucy stated firmly, her eyes dancing with determination.

"I'm open to just about anything right now.", Cobra sighed. At this point, anything was better than being stuck in a forest with nothing but the clothes on his back.

"How about I take you two back to the inn that's in the town about fifteen minutes from here? I can contact my Guild Master and ask him if it's okay if I bring you two back to Magnolia with me.", Lucy suggested with a small smile. If Master truly allowed her to bring these two back with her, she was sure that a few people from the guild would have a major issue with it. But at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to really care These two didn't seem to have any recollection of their time in a Dark Guild and she wasn't about to just leave them to starve in a forest by themselves. Her conscious wouldn't allow her to do so.

"You really think your Guild Master would let you bring two kids you barely know back with you?", Cobra asked skeptically. Part of him asked because it seemed way too good to be true. And the other half of him felt the need to ask because he wasn't quite sure if he could fully trust this woman yet. He had known her for all of twenty minutes and she had shown them nothing but kindness. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't just throw them in an orphanage the moment she stepped into town with them.

"I don't think Master would have an issue with it, it wouldn't be the first time he has taken in kids that have no where else to go. Myself being one of those cases.", she assured with a small smirk. She felt the child in her arms stir slightly and looked down at him, her eyes instantly locking with scared, red eyes. She gave Midnight a soft smile and removed her hand from his hair. When he whined at the lack of contact, she smirked and began sifting through his two-toned hair again.

"Who are you?", Midnight asked quietly, not completely understanding what was going on. The last thing he remembered was a bright light and the darkness consuming him. He remembered his mind being ravaged by unrelenting nightmares and then a soft voice telling him that everything would be okay. He remembered a strange feeling of safety and comfort washing over his unconscious mind and falling into a more fitful slumber. And now here he was, curled up in the arms of a woman that looked vaguely familiar but with no memories of who the woman was.

"My name is Lucy. I found you and Cobra about a half hour ago. We were waiting for you to wake up before we moved to the inn a little ways from here. If you are okay with it, I am going to contact my Guild Master and ask him if I can bring you back to the Guild with me.", she explained gently, her eyes straying over to Cobra, only to see the small boy give a sleepy yawn. She was pretty sure that the poor kid was exhausted after finding himself in a situation that none of them quite understood.

"You won't leave us if you're Master says no, will you?", Midnight trembled. He had no idea where he was and no memories to help him, the thought of being alone again was absolute terrifying for the young boy. Not only that, but she had been able to make his seemingly never ending nightmares go away. He didn't know if it was because of his memory loss or not, but he couldn't remember the last time he had actually been able to sleep so fitfully. He didn't want to have those horrific nightmares anymore, he just wanted to sleep in peace for once.

"Of course not, I could never leave two kids behind. Especially two kids who needed me more than anything. I have no doubt that Master will allow me to bring you back with me. And if he did say no, I would bring you two back with me anyway, consequences be damned.", she assured with a small smile, hugging the small boy gently.

"We'll be fine, Midnight. I don't think she's going to try to hurt us. She didn't even touch you until I gave her the go ahead to try and help you. I think we can trust her.", Cobra spoke up with a small sigh. He was sure that if he was okay with the suggestion, that Midnight would go along with it as well. From the little bit that he _could_ remember, Midnight always followed him around without a second thought.

"I guess I'll go with you, Lucy. As long as Cobra comes with.", Midnight mumbled before burying his face in Lucy's shoulder.

"You heard the man, looks like we're going back to the inn for the night. Once we get there, we'll order some room service and get you two something to eat, I imagine you two are famished.", she nodded, her suspicions of them being hungry was confirmed when she heard their stomachs rumble in response. Both of their cheeks reddened with embarrassment and she couldn't help but laugh.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Do you want to walk, Midnight? Or would you rather I carried you?", Lucy asked turning her head to look at the boy currently nuzzling her shoulder.

"Would it be okay if I stayed up here for now?", the boy replied shyly.

"Of course.", she nodded before turning her attention to Cobra. "My back is free if you want to hitch a ride.", she offered.

Cobra nodded before clambering onto the blondes back. Once she was sure that he wouldn't fall off, she slowly raised herself from the ground, both of her arms hooked around Midnight. She felt Cobra's tiny arms tighten around her neck and couldn't help but smile. She suddenly felt like a big sister, if not a mother. Either way, it was a nice feeling. If these two could trust her completely, then she would do the same for them. She giggled softly when she felt both boys nuzzle their faces into her shoulders and started to make her way back to town.

* * *

After renting a room for the night at the inn and ordering just about everything on the menu, both boys had fallen asleep on the short trek back to town, she made her way towards their room. She easily unlocked the door to their room and gently pushed it closed with her foot. She walked towards the only bed in the room and gently laid Midnight on it before carefully removing the sleeping boy on her back, placing him next to his friend. She gave them a small smile before taking a seat on the edge of the bed just a little ways away from them.

She reached for the key ring on her belt and unhooked one of her keys, swishing it through the air to summon Virgo. If she was going to take care of the two boys properly, she was going to need some supplies, including a change of clothes for them and hygiene products for them. She smiled at the spirit when she arrived with a flash of gold.

"Punishment, Princess?", the maid asked with a small bow.

"No, no punishment, Virgo. I was hoping you could bring me my pack and bring some clothes and some hygiene products for those two, please.", Lucy requested, tilting her head in the direction of the two sleeping boys on the bed. She watched as a small flash of surprise passed through the maidens eyes before they became blank once more.

"That will be no problem, but just who are these children? They look strangely familiar.", the maiden asked.

"That's because we technically know them. They're Midnight and Cobra from the Oracion Seis. I don't know how they became children nor do I know why they don't seem to have any memories of their lives before being transformed. The only thing they do remember is each other.", Lucy explained quietly, not wanting to wake the poor boys.

"I see, I will return in a moment with the things you require.", Virgo nodded before bowing and disappearing. She reappeared a moment later, her arms full of clothing for the two boys and anything else that they may require. Lucy's bag was hanging from one of her wrists. She gently set the stack of clothing and other products on the small table next to the bed and handed her Mistress her bag. After Lucy confirmed that she wouldn't require anything else, she disappeared once more.

Once Virgo was gone, Lucy snuck a peak at the sleeping boys and smiled at the position they were in. At some point during Virgo's short visit, they had curled around each other in an almost protective, brotherly manner. It warmed her heart to see them acting that way, even if there was a chance that they had no idea that they were doing it. After tearing her gaze away from them, she dug through her pack and pulled out her communication lacrima and sent a small pulse of magic in it. When Makarov's face appeared a moment later, she shot him a small smile.

"Ahh, Lucy, what can I do for you child?", the Master asked with a cheeky grin.

"Well, I'm going to start off with telling you that my mission was a success but I came across something quite interesting.", She began, when the master nodded for her to continue, she did. "Just as I was leaving town to start heading back home, I came across a couple of kids. You may remember them, actually."

"And just who are these children you are talking about, Lucy?", Makarov asked with a curious raise of his brow.

Instead of trying to explain everything all at once, she turned the lacrima in her hand towards the forms Midnight and Cobra curled around each other while they slept. When she heard her Master make a sound that strangely resembled a dying walrus, she turned the device back towards herself.

"You found the child like forms of Cobra and Midnight of the Oracion Seis?!", he asked, his eyes on the verge of bulging out of his skull at her discovery.

"That's right, but that's not all. They both don't have any memories of me, their former guild, or anything that happened in the past. The only thing that they seem to remember is each other.", Lucy explained with a shrug.

"What do you plan to do with them?", he asked, his mind running a mile a minute. He already had a feeling that she was going to give him an answer that would surely change a lot of things at his guild hall.

"Well, that's exactly why I called you. I already asked them if they were okay with it and they are. I would like to request your permission to bring them back to Magnolia with me. They trust me completely and I can't bring myself to just leave them here to fend for themselves. I can tell that they still have their magic and they would be great additions to the guild. You were able to give Gajeel and Juvia a second chance and I think these two deserve one too.", Lucy explained, her voice firm with her resolve. She could see the Master's hesitance and she couldn't really blame him for it.

"You know that this will not go over well with the rest of the guild, your former team especially.", Makarov pointed out.

"Master, with all due respect, nobody from Team Natsu has spoken to me since you decided to break our team up. I don't really care what they think about this. Midnight and Cobra will be solely my responsibility.", she stated firmly, not even noticing that both boys had woken up during her chat with the Master. She jumped a little when both boys crawled across the bed towards her and plopped themselves on opposite sides of her, both of them peering into the lacrima in her hand.

"Are you truly sure about this, Lucy? There will be no going back once they get here. I can't even tell you what will happen when the Counsel catches word of this.", the Master sighed, knowing that there would be no chance of changing the blondes mind.

"Let me deal with the Counsel. I won't let them lay a hand on either of these boys.", Lucy smirked, her smirk turning into a small smile when she felt two pairs of tiny arms wrap around her waist in a hug.

"I can see that there is no chance of me changing your mind. You may bring them back with you, Lucy. They will solely be your responsibility and they will have to stay in your home with you.", Makarov sighed in defeat.

"I was already planning on both of those With the amount of money I have made during my time as a solo mage I was actually looking into buying a bigger place. I guess I'll have to start looking once we get back home.", she nodded.

"Very well, when you arrive back in Magnolia, bring them straight to my office. We will introduce them to the rest of the guild together. We have no idea what the other's reactions are going to be.", Master explained before the device went black.

Lucy set the lacrima on the small bedside table before turning to the boy's currently clinging to her waist, their eyes wide with excitement.

"You hear that, boys? You're coming home with me!", she grinned.

Cobra's lips drew back in a small smile while Midnight's eyes brimmed with happy tears. They had only heard a little bit of her conversation and they had started to think that they would be turned down. They were going to have a home and Lucy was going to be the one to give it to them. They were confused by some parts of the conversation but neither of them could bring themselves to care at that moment. They both figured that their blonde haired savior would explain it to them if she felt it was important. For now though, they were just going to bask in the fact that they were able to stay with her.

A knock on the door signaled that their food had arrive and Lucy gently pried herself away from the boys. She quickly pulled the food cart into the room and starting piling two plates full of food. She handed each boy a plate and told them to dig in before she served herself a small portion of the food. She sat down on the bed in between the boys and watched with amusement as the shoveled food into their mouths as quickly as they could. She'd definitely been right when she had figured that they were hungry. If she recalled correctly, Cobra was a Dragon Slayer and he was probably going to eat more than her and Midnight combined. She knew that her grocery bill was going to increase with two more mouths to feed but it was nothing new to her.

She was used to feeding Happy and Natsu's bottomless pits of stomachs, after all.

Once every scrap of food was devoured, mostly by Cobra, all three of them let out a satisfied sigh. Once their plates were cleared away and the food cart was placed back in the hallway, Lucy turned her attention back to the duo on the bed. She shot them both a small smile and started sorting through the clothing that Virgo had brought for them. After picking out outfits for the two kids, she ushered them towards the bathroom. She had no idea how long they had been laying in that forest and fully intended on scrubbing them clean.

She turned the taps on the bathtub on and started filling the water with warm water. She turned back towards the boys and gestures for them to strip. When they both flushed with embarrassment, she couldn't help but laugh at the adorable blushes forming on their cheeks.

"We're eight years old, Lucy! We can bathe ourselves, you know!", Cobra protested, his blush darkening by the second.

"I know you two are more than capable of bathing yourselves but I don't know how long you two were laying unconscious out there. I want to make sure you two don't have any injuries and I want to make sure all that dirt gets washed out of your hair.", Lucy explained with a smile.

"After this we can bathe alone?", Midnight asked, his cheeks growing darker and darker by the moment. He trusted this woman, but he wasn't so sure about her bathing him like he was a helpless child.

Eight year old's had pride too, dammit!

"I'll make you two a deal, let me check you for injuries and wash your hair and then I'll let you two finish yourselves. Deal?", Lucy improvised with a smile. She really did just want to make sure that they were physically okay, plus she could practically see the little dirt piles on each boy's scalp.

"I can deal with that.", Cobra shrugged before quickly stripping his clothing and all but dived into the tub.

Midnight just nodded and followed his friend's lead.

Lucy sighed with relief. She grabbed a hotel issued drinking cup from the bathroom counter and got to work wetting down Cobra's hair. She watched as dirt and grime dripped out of his hair and grimaced. Turned out the kid was dirtier than he looked. She quickly lathered her hands with shampoo and worked the suds into his maroon hair. Her eyes roamed over his back and torso and sighed in relief when she didn't see a single mark on his body. She knew that the older Cobra had scars all over his body from his time in the Tower, but it seemed that they had disappeared when he'd been turned into a child. She quickly rinsed his hair of the suds and smiled gently at him before turning to Midnight.

She repeated the process with the two toned haired boy and smiled when she found no bruises or otherwise marring his pale flesh. She really didn't know a whole lot about Midnight or his past. She knew that his prayer had been for a quiet place to sleep, but that was about as far as her knowledge went. She made him a silent promise to learn everything she could about the small, timid boy in front of her. She quickly rinsed the suds from his hair and moved to stand back up. She paused when she felt a small hand close around her wrist and turned to look at Midnight questioningly.

"Thank you for everything you are doing for us. I don't know how we could ever repay you for your kindness.", He spoke up timidly.

"It's no problem at all, don't worry about it. You two will never feel alone again, I promise. And Celestial Wizards never break their promises.", she replied softly.

Midnight nodded and released his hold on her wrist. Both boys watched the blonde leave the bathroom, leaving the door cracked a little in case they needed her. Without a second thought, both boys got to work cleaning the rest of their bodies. They didn't want to be away from the kind, blonde haired woman longer than they needed to be.

Once they were squeaky clean, both boys clambered out of the tub and made quick work of drying their tiny bodies off. They wrapped towels around their little waists and walked out of the bathroom after noticing that Lucy had forgotten to bring their pajamas into the bathroom with her. She giggled at them when they walked over to the bed and wordlessly handed them their change of clothing. She turned her back to them to give them a little privacy and waited for them to signal that they were finished.

When Lucy heard Cobra clear his throat, she turned back around and internally swooned at their cuteness. Virgo had done a good job picking out clothes for her two boys. Cobra was clad in a pair of fleece sleep pants with little purple snakes decorating them and a black shirt with a large purple snake that reminded her of his snake companion from years ago right in the middle of it. Midnight was decked out in a similar outfit, only with magical carpets on them instead of snakes. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that her spirit remembered what their most prized possessions had once been.

She offhandedly wondered what had happened to Cobra's snake and Midnight's magic carpet after they had been turned into children. She'd find a way to get them back to them, no matter what the cost. She could see these boys happy no matter what she had to do.

"You two ready to get some sleep? It's a long train ride back to Magnolia.", she asked with a small smile.

Cobra just nodded and crawled onto the bed, immediately taking the left side of the bed. He was asleep before his head made contact with the pillow.

Midnight, on the other hand, looked terrified at the thought of sleeping.

"I'll keep the nightmares away, Midnight.", Lucy promised as she held her arms out to the scared child. He didn't waste anytime jumping into her arms and she hoisted them to the top of the bed, her in the middle and him on the right. She laid down on her back and wrapped an arm around Midnight's shoulders, pulling her close to his body, her hand idly sifting through his silky tresses. She heard him sigh in content before she watched his eyes droop closed. She turned her head to the left when she felt Cobra snuggle closer to her for warmth. With a small smile, she wrapped her free arm around him in the same fashion as Midnight and drew him closer to her.

Once she was sure that both of her boys were both down for the count, she stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. She silently wondered just how much her life was going to change now that she had two eight year old boys to take care of. Sure, she was good with children, but the thought of raising a child had never really crossed her mind. But now that she had the two boys wrapped around her, she couldn't bring herself to regret her decision to take them in. In some ways, she was sure that she needed them just as much as they needed her. She had been so lonely the last few months and now they were slowly, but surely, filling the empty void in her heart.

She had promised them that they would never be alone again and she would do everything in her power to never break that promise. And not just because it was she was a Celestial Mage and that her promises were binding that drove her. No, it was because they trusted her to keep them safe. They didn't have anywhere else to go and no memories to their names and she had welcomed them with open arms. If it came down to it, she would fight each and every member of Fairy Tail just to keep them safe.

She would take on Brain if she had to to keep them safe.

She would face Acnologia and destroy him if he touched a hair on their heads.

She would take on Phantom Lord a thousand times over if she had to.

These were her boys now and they were more precious than anything.

She would keep them safe.

No matter what.

With a silent nod of determination, she kissed each boy on the head and finally allowed her eyelids to droop with exhaustion. With a small yawn, she got herself comfortable and finally allowed herself to welcome the abyss of sleep.

Tomorrow was a new day and with a new day came new adventures. And now, a new family to call her own.

* * *

 **Phew! That ended up being a lot longer than I had expected.**

 **Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! Seriously, let me know, I want to know if this story is worth continuing.**

 **I couldn't help it, Child Cobra and Child Midnight are just so cute.**

 **I am fully aware that both of them are probably OOC, but not a whole lot is known about their personalities as children, so I'm just rolling with it for now.**

 **I'll stop rambling now.**

 **Again, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, I'd just like to start off by saying HOLY SHIT! I never expected this story to get so much positive feedback in such less than twenty four hours!. Thank you to everyone who left just wonderful reviews on the first chapter. It made me want to get my ass in gear and get this chapter written, hopefully it doesn't disappoint. :) It's really kind of sad that there aren't a whole lot of finished stories with Cobra and Midnight, they're just so awesome! I'll stop ranting now, I'm sure you've realized that I have a tendency to do that.**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story!**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow! Positive feedback equals quicker updates! As you've obviously seen since this story was put up yesterday. ;)**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper**

* * *

Previously;

 _She would take on Brain if she had to to keep them safe._

 _She would face Acnologia and destroy him if he touched a hair on their heads._

 _She would take on Phantom Lord a thousand times over if she had to._

 _These were her boys now and they were more precious than anything._

 _She would keep them safe._

 _No matter what._

 _With a silent nod of determination, she kissed each boy on the head and finally allowed her eyelids to droop with exhaustion. With a small yawn, she got herself comfortable and finally allowed herself to welcome the abyss of sleep._

 _Tomorrow was a new day and with a new day came new adventures. And now, a new family to call her own._

* * *

Lucy let out a small groan when her began to wake the next morning. She froze for a moment when she felt two small bodies pressed up against her. She relaxed after a short moment after remembering everything that had happened the day before. She had been so sure that she had been dreaming about the entire encounter. Never in her life had she ever expected to end up as the caregiver for two former criminals turned children. The idea was absurd, but she wasn't about to go back on her word.

she stretched her body as best she could while pinned down by two small bodies. She glanced at the small alarm clock on the bedside table and her eyes widened when she realized that they had not only slept all night, but had slept most of the morning away as well. She shrugged her shoulders in an attempt to stir Cobra and Midnight and silently cheered when she felt them stir.

"Boys, you need to wake up. We have a train to catch in an hour.", Lucy whispered before jostling her body again. Honestly, she was surprised that she had and feeling left in her shoulders after they'd been laid on all night, not that she was complaining though. She hadn't been woken up once during the night and she could only assume that that meant that Midnight had slept peacefully and nightmare free.

"Five more minutes.", Cobra groaned before nuzzling his face further into the blondes shoulder. He was warm, comfortable, and didn't want to move for the next ten years. He hadn't woken up to the sounds of Midnight having a nightmare and that was something that pleased the small boy greatly. Lucy had kept his nightmares away and it shocked him that she was able to do so so easily. He felt her shoulders vibrate as she silently shook with laughter and raised his head with a pout.

"Sorry, Cobra, but if we don't get up we'll miss the train and have to walk all the way back home.", Lucy reasoned, running a single hand through his sleep mused maroon hair. She watched as he untangled himself from their cuddly position and dragged himself towards the bathroom to wash up. One kiddo down and one to go. She had a feeling that waking up Midnight was going to prove to be more of a challenge.

Lucy rolled herself over onto her side facing Midnight and gently shook his shoulders in an attempt to wake him up. She let out a small bark of laughter when she heard the boy snort with annoyance.

"Midnight, we need to get up if we want to catch the train back home. You don't want to have to walk all day and night, do you?", she whispered in his ear. She felt him tense but he didn't stir. She decided to up the anti. "If we miss the train you'll be stuck sleeping on the cold, hard ground and we won't be able to cuddle."

The moment the words left her lips, the small boy's eyes shot open in horror at the thought of not having the blonde to cuddle with. He hadn't had a single nightmare throughout the entire night and he wanted it to stay that way. He didn't know what it was about the woman's presence, but she calmed the raging torrent of darkness that seemed to rage through his dreams. The thought of going back to being a whimpering mess during the night didn't seem so appealing.

"Can I sleep on the train while we head back to Magnolia?", he asked with a small yawn before lifting himself into a sitting position and stretched his small limbs.

"Of course. I would have just carried you to the train station but I didn't think you'd want the world seeing your adorable jammies.", Lucy replied with a small smirk.

"I'm going to go get dressed now.", Midnight grumbled, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment. He loved his pajamas but that didn't mean he wanted the entire world to see him in them. He was pretty sure that Cobra shared the sentiment. He dragged himself out of the comfort of Lucy's arms and lazily crawled off the bed, stalking towards the bathroom after his feet hit the ground.

Lucy watched her second surrogate child wander off in the direction of the bathroom with a small smile. It really was hard to imagine them as the murderous criminals that they had been known as before. She had forgiven them for their transgressions long ago but had never once thought that she would ever see them again. She decided that she had best get ready herself and slid off the bed. She grabbed a change of clothes and quickly changed before either of the boys wandered out of the bathroom.

As she stripped out of her clothing, she realized that she had slept in the clothes she had worn the day before. She had been so worried about making sure that the boy's had everything that they needed that she hadn't even thought about putting on her own pajamas. She shrugged it off and changed into a black skirt that reached her mid-thigh and a purple crop top that showed off a few inches of her flat stomach.

When Cobra and Midnight exited the bathroom, the first thing they did when the saw the outfit their adoptive mother was wearing was shield their eyes.

"Put some damn clothes on!", Cobra cried, his cheeks reddening at the sight.

"You are showing far too much skin, Lucy.", Midnight mumbled, his hands pressed roughly against his eyes.

Lucy let out a loud bark of laughter at both boy's actions. That had not been the reaction she had expected out of them. Actually, she hadn't been expecting any sort of reaction out of them for her state of dress. But she didn't want to make the boy's uncomfortable and decided that she would change if it would make them feel better.

"Which part of my outfit bothers you, boys?", she asked through her giggles.

"Your skirt is way too short!", both boys cried, both of them turning their backs to the blonde. "Put some pants on!"

"Fine, fine. Keep your backs to me while I change.", she giggled. Instead of digging through her pack for another pair of jeans, she opted to change into the jeans she had been wearing a few minutes prior. She quickly switched out her skirt for the jeans and let the boys know that she was done. When they both turned around, they both let out small sighs of relief.

"Thank you.", Midnight sighed.

"What was your issue with the skirt anyway?", Lucy questioned. They were only eight after all, it wasn't like they had teenage hormones to deal with. She was pretty sure that they were at the age where girls their age had the deadly disease known as cooties.

"We're about to go out in public, I don't want to watch old guys drool all over our new mom.", Cobra grumbled with a small pout.

"New...mom?", Lucy stuttered. Sure, she would be taking them in and raising them, but she hadn't expected them to look at her like a mother. She had been expecting them to have more of a bigger sister vibe towards her. Sure, she felt like a mother last night when she had held them while they slept, but she hadn't expected them to return those feelings. Her heart thudded with glee in her chest and she had to fight to urge to lunge towards the two kids and smother them in a hug.

"Well, yeah. You're technically adopting us, aren't you? Unless you've changed your mind...", Midnight replied, his eyes slowly brimming with tears at the thought of her leaving them.

"No, no. I'd never leave you two. I just wasn't expecting either of you to look at me as if I was your mother. I had been more so expecting the two of you to think of me as a big sister. But if you two want to look at me as your mother, than I can totally live with that. Anybody would be honored to have such sweet little boys for children.", she assured sweetly before lowering herself to her knees. She gestured for Midnight to come to her and he did so without hesitation. She engulfed the two-toned haired boy in a gentle hug and gave him a comforting squeeze.

"I ain't sweet. I'm a dragon.", Cobra pouted as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh yes, you're my fearsome little Dragon Slayer.", Lucy teased before releasing Midnight from her grasp. She wiped the tears from the timid boy's eyes and ruffled his hair before lifting herself from the ground.

"Damn right I am.", the maroon haired boy nodded.

"Language, young man. Now, let's get this stuff packed up so we can check out and catch our train. When both boys nodded, they made quick work of packing up all of their clothing. After summoning Virgo and asking her to store their things for them, the trio left the room to check out of their room.

* * *

After buying the train tickets for Magnolia, Lucy ushered her two boy's to an open cabin and shut the door firmly behind her. She took a seat on one of the benches and watched with amusement as the boys clambered up next to her. She stretched her legs out and rested her feet on the opposite bench and waited for the train to take off. It was a three hour ride back to Magnolia and she was starting to regret not asking Virgo to bring her something to entertain her boys with. She supposed that this would be a good time to get to know her boys better.

If she was going to raise them, she was going to need to know everything she possibly could about them. She felt the train lurch as it began moving at looked at Cobra from the corner of her eye, checking to see if he was old enough to have the motion sickness that all Dragon Slayers seemed to develop at some point. She recalled that Gajeel hadn't developed his until the Grand Magic Games, so she had no idea if they needed to be adults before they were stuck with the ailment.

But then again, he didn't get sick when he rode around on Nirvana or when he caught a ride on his gigantic snake. Maybe the maroon haired boy was immune to motion sickness? Now that would be a nice development!

"How long is the train ride back to Magnolia, Lucy?", Midnight asked with a small tilt of his head. He scooted his body a little closer to the blonde and wrapped his arms around her arm, resting his forehead on it.

"It's about a three hour ride, give or take. I was thinking that maybe we should take the time to get to know each other a little better. But if you'd like to sleep instead, that's fine too.", the blonde explained with a grin.

"I think I'll stay awake, I want to know more about you and your guild.", the timid boy mumbled into her arm.

"What do you want to know about us, hmm?", Cobra asked with a raised eyebrow.

"First off, what kind of magic do you two use?", Lucy asked easily.

"Reflector magic, I'll show you once we're not on the train. I don't want to accidentally hurt someone.", Midnight replied quietly.

"Soul Listening Magic and I'm a Poison Dragon Slayer. I can't hear your soul for some reason though.", Cobra grumbled with a small frown.

"That's perfectly fine, Midnight.", Lucy assured before turning to Cobra. "You can't hear my soul at all?"

"Not a word. It's weird. I can hear Midnight just fine and I can hear everyone else on the train. But I can't hear a single thing coming from your soul. It's almost like you've got some sort of shield that won't let me past.", Cobra explained, his frown still firmly in place.

"That certainly is strange. We'll have to ask Master about it when I bring you two to Fairy Tail today.", Lucy mused, her lips pursed in thought.

"You're bringing us to the guild today?", Midnight asked, his eyes wide with a curious mixture of fear and excitement. It truly was an odd mix.

"Of course. Master asked that I bring you two straight to the guild after we got back. He is going to help me introduce you two to the rest of the guild. I'll warn you now, my guild mates can be quite rowdy but I won't let anything harm you.", she replied with a smile. She ruffled Midnight's unruly hair and giggled when he gave her a small pout at her actions.

"What else do you want to know about us?", Cobra asked. "Can we ask you stuff too? It seems only fair."

"If Master is okay with it, would you two like to join the guild? You two would team up with me and you two would be able to hone your magics so you can use them to the best of your ability. And yes, you can ask me anything you want.", Lucy grinned, hoping that they would agree to join the guild. She had a feeling that they would make quite the team once they'd had some training with their magic.

"As long as we get to stay with you, I'll join. And my favorite food is anything with veggies.", Midnight replied with a small shrug. He couldn't care less where they went or what guild they joined, he just wanted to stay by Lucy's side.

"If Midnight is joining, so am I. And I like anything laced with poison.", Cobra replied easily. He only had Lucy and Midnight and he wasn't going to risk losing either one of them. If joining Fairy Tail would make it easier for him to train himself and become stronger, he would do it. He would do whatever he had to do to keep his best friend and mother figure safe.

"Well, that makes grocery shopping certainly easy. I just ask that you don't turn my kitchen into a chemistry lab. Are there any questions that you two have for me? I have quite a few for the both of you but I think it would be best to just learn about you two as we go. I'll ask you two questions when I have to, sound good?", Lucy inquired with a small yawn. She knew that there was no reason for her to be tired, but she couldn't help it that train rides were horribly boring, no matter how much company you had.

"What exactly is Celestial magic?", Midnight asked curiously, his mouth drawing back in a small yawn.

"I use the keys on my belt to summon Spirits from the Spirit World to help me in battle. They're just like you and me, they're people. They have thoughts and feelings just like us. A true Celestial Mage fights beside her Spirits and don't use them as shields. You already met Virgo, she's the maiden. I'll have you meet the other's at a later date, a couple of them have a habit of popping up out of nowhere for no reason other than to just say hello. Just thought I should warn you. I have a few books on my magic back home if you are interested in looking through them.", the blonde answered easily. She was happy that her boys were taking an interest in her magic along with taking an interest in honing their own skills.

"Are you really going to buy a house just because you took us in?", Cobra asked when she finished her explanation.

"Of course. Right now I live in a one bedroom apartment. It isn't nearly big enough for all three of us to live in. I'm assuming you two will want your own rooms and space. Plus a backyard would be nice, especially if you two want to train when we are at home.", Lucy replied with a grin.

"Why are you doing so much for us? I guess I just don't understand why you would take in two kids that you don't know so easily.", Midnight mumbled before burying his face once more into Lucy's arm.

"I have many reasons for taking you in. The biggest one being that you two need me just as much as I need you. You two trusted me to take care of you almost immediately. I keep those nasty nightmares away while you sleep, don't I? I would never abandon someone in need, especially children. You two say that you can't remember much of anything and I want to help you regain your memories if I can. Does that help?", Lucy explained easily without hesitation.

"You really care for us that much?", Cobra inquired with a raised eyebrow. It really did sound way too good to be true.

"I really, really do.", she confirmed with a toothy grin that rivaled a certain Fire Dragon Slayer's signature grin.

The moment her mind strayed to the pink haired slayer, she scowled. She had a feeling that he was going to have a huge fit when he found out that she had taken in the child like forms of two people that had technically tried to kill them in the past. But then again, he hadn't spoken to her in months, why the hell should she care if he was upset about it. All she needed was Master's approval and she had it. If any of her guild mates touched even a hair on her boy's head's, they'd be getting a swift Lucy Kick straight to Bosco.

"Are you okay, Lucy?", Cobra asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. Just a moment ago she was smiling and now she was scowling something fierce.

"I'm fine, Cobra. Just thought of something but it'll be alright. Why don't you two get some sleep? We still have a little over an hour before we reach our stop.", she assured with a sigh.

Cobra frowned but nodded in acceptance. If it was important, she would have told them. He curled up next to her and placed his head in her lap, sleep consuming him within minutes.

Once Cobra was asleep, Lucy turned her attention to Midnight and let out a small laugh when she found that he was already completely dead to the world. She stretched her legs with a sigh and settled herself comfortably. She watched the scenery pass by as she lost herself in her thoughts. Times were certainly changing and she didn't know just how much was going to change once she entered the guild with her boys.

* * *

Lucy groaned when the train came to a screeching halt in Magnolia station. She didn't have the heart to wake the boys so she opted to carry them. She gathered Midnight in her arms before nudging Cobra, quietly telling him to hop on her back. He easily clambered onto her back and was soon back in the land of dreams. She thought back to her own childhood and couldn't remember sleeping as much as these two did but shrugged it off. There could be a number of reasons that they slept as much as they did.

She was sure that Midnight's sleeping habits came from barley getting any sleep due to his nightmares. Cobra was a mystery though. She supposed that it could be a side effect from being turned into a child, losing his memories, and the spells effects still pumping through his system. She was sure that he'd be more lively in a couple of days.

She couldn't really say the same for Midnight though. She recalled that he was almost always asleep when she had seen him in the past. Something told her that his constant sleeping would be something that would always be there. Not that it bothered her though. She adored her boys. Weird quirks and all.

She stepped off the train and exited the busy station with practiced ease. She had been lucky and people had moved out of her way when they'd realized she was carrying not one, but two children on her person. It would seem that being a mother had it's advantages. Aside from the cute faces, that is. Once she was free from the bustling station, she made her way down the familiar streets that would lead her straight to the Fairy Tail Guild Hall.

She knew she was getting closer and closer to the guild when she started to hear the clear sounds of a guild wide party going on. She furrowed her brow in confusion, just what could they be celebrating? Surely they didn't know that she was bringing back two new members, Master had assured her that they wouldn't know a thing until she showed up. The only time they partied as hard as they seemed to be was when they won some sort of contest or when they got a new member. Maybe she wasn't the only one that was bringing in new members today?

She'd just have to hurry up and get to the guild so she could find out. She picked up her pace as much as she could without jostling the two children currently clinging to her back and torso. Within ten minutes, she was standing outside the guilds enormous doors. She felt Cobra stir behind her, no doubt he was woken up by the noise within the guild. Poor kid not only had sensitive slayer ears, but he could also hear all of their souls as well. She looked behind her and heard him groan at the amount of noise.

"I know it's loud but you'll get used to it. I'm going to open the door and whatever you do, do no let go of me. I don't need you getting dragged into whatever insanity is going on in there. Got it?", she asked with a firm look.

"Hold on tight, don't let go, and don't get dragged into random insanity. Got it.", the maroon haired boy smirked before tightening his grip on her shoulders.

Lucy nodded at the boy before tightening her arms around the sleeping Midnight. She knew that there would be no way that she was going to be able to get into the guild without being noticed. She mentally groaned when she realized that she was going to have to do the one thing that she had really hoped she wouldn't have to. No matter what she did, she was going to draw the entire guilds attention no matter what.

So why not make it a dramatic as hell entrance?

"Hold on tight, Cobra. I'm kicking the doors in.", she ordered before taking a small step back.

"You're going to what?!", Cobra cried. He wrapped his arms around the woman in a death grip before it was too late.

Lucy flew at the door, her leg raised high in the air. The moment her leg connected with the doors, she couldn't help the sharp bark of laughter the escaped her lips when the doors flew off their hinges and took out numerous dumbfounded guild members. She was usually the least destructive member in the guild, so seeing her kick the doors to the building straight off their hinges was rare and wholly terrifying.

"Where the hell is Master?!", Lucy asked as sweetly as she could. She felt Cobra tense behind her and felt Midnight do the same. She felt slightly guilty for accidentally waking him up but she had more important things to worry about. She would make it up to both kids later.

"There any reason you're carrying a couple of kids, Lucy?", a random guild member shouted from across the room.

"That's none of your business right now. Where is Master?", Lucy bit out.

"He's in his office, Miss Lucy. I apologize if these idiots startled those children.", a voice spoke up from behind her.

Lucy whipped around at the sound of the oddly familiar voice. She quietly apologized to Cobra when she heard him yelp in surprise. Her eyes widened when her doe eyes locked with somewhat familiar red eyes. She tightened her grip slightly around Midnight and looked at the man in front of her carefully.

"Rogue? From Sabertooth?", she asked with confusion.

"That is correct. It seems that Makarov has a lot to explain to you now that you're back.", Rogue confirmed with a small nod.

"It would seem that he does. I'll catch up with and the other's later. I really need to speak with Master about my boys.", Lucy explained.

When Rogue nodded in acceptance, she turned on her heel and sidestepped every member of the guild that got in her way. She ignored all of their questions when they tried to get her to explain just who the children were and why she had them attached to her body. She heard Cobra growl protectively when a couple of guild members strayed too close to her and couldn't help but smirk. Kid was only eight and was already insanely protective of the woman he saw as his mother.

After dodging member after member, she finally climbed the stairs to the second floor. She was relieved when nobody followed her up the stairs and made her way towards the Master's office.

"Going to explain why you've got the Poison brat on your back, Blondie?", Laxus barked from his seat as she passed him and his team.

Lucy tensed before turning on her heel, her eyes blazing with intense anger. She saw all three members of the Thunder Legion flinch at the dark aura that seemed to consume her at their leader's comment.

"If you ever refer to my son in such a disrespectful manner again I'll fucking end you.", she spat.

"S-son?!", she heard guild members throughout the hall shout in a confused manner.

Lucy ignored their questioning shouts and Laxus wisely kept his mouth shut, his gut telling him that she was deadly serious about her threat. Once she was certain that he wasn't going to say anything else, Lucy resumed her walk towards Makarov's office. She didn't even bother knocking before she entered the office, making sure to slam the door behind her for good measure.

"Ahh, Lucy. I see you have returned. I can only assume that Midnight is the one curled up in your arms and Cobra is the child shaking with anger on you back?", the tiny Guild Master asked with a grin.

"That would be correct. Laxus made a rude comment about Cobra and I don't blame him for being a little pissed. Plus I'm pretty sure that the guild knows who these two are now. I kind of told Laxus that if he repeated those words towards my son again that I'd destroy him,.", Lucy muttered in response. She set Midnight down on his feet before lowering herself so Cobra could climb off her back. Both boys instantly took her hands and stared at the tiny man in front of them with looks of confusion.

"You already view these boys as your own children?", Makarov asked, his voice laced with a small amount of surprise.

"I do. And both of them view me as their mother.", she confirmed with a nod.

"I see. Well, I'm sure that you've noticed that there are more than just our members gathered in the hall downstairs.", Makarov began, when he saw Lucy nod, he continued. "Well, the Magic Counsel has decided to disband Sabertooth and we have decided to offer their members a chance to join our guild. So far, Rogue, Sting, Rufus, and Orga have decided to stay. Their Exceeds obviously joined too."

"I assume their disbandment has something to do with their former guild Master?", Lucy inquired with a scowl. From what she knew about the Sabertooth master was that he had been a tyrant. Treating his members more like soldiers than actual people. From what she had heard, if a member failed at t ask he had given them, they were punished in cruel ways.

"You are correct. They will be treated no different than our own members but I doubt that that will be an issue with you at all.", Makarov agreed with a nod.

"True, the only person from that guild I have an issue with is that tyrants sadistic daughter.", she replied bitterly.

"What did his daughter do to you?", Cobra piped up, a small amount of anger lacing his tone.

"Nothing you need to worry about, child. Now, I suppose you two need your marks and need to be introduced to the guild, hmm?", the Master grinned before producing a magical stamp from one of the drawers in his desk.

"Pick where ever you like and whatever color you want, boys.", Lucy grinned, her mood instantly brightening at the fact that her boys were going to bare the same mark as her.

"Between my shoulder blades in purple.", Midnight said quietly before turning his back and lifting his shirt over his head. He felt the stamp press firmly against his back and replaced his shirt when he felt the stamp leave his skin.

"And you, young man?", Makarov asked as he turned to Cobra.

"Same place in red.", he grumbled before repeating his best friends actions and pulled his shirt over his head. He tensed when he felt the stamp press into his back and instantly relaxed the moment it was removed.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Cobra and Midnight. I will leave it to Lucy to explain the rules to you. If you have any issues with any of the guild members, please feel free to approach myself, Lucy, or the bartender, Mirajane, and we will handle the issues.", Makarov grinned at the two boys. He raised an eyebrow when they both just nodded firmly at him. He gave Lucy a strange look to which to responded with a small shrug.

"Now that that's settled, what do you say we go introduce you two to the rest of the guild, hmm?", Lucy asked sweetly. She grabbed hold of each boy's hands again and started to lead them out of the office and over to the balcony, Master Makarov not far behind.

The trio watched with amusement as the tiny man struggled to hoist himself up onto the balcony's railing, Cobra going so far as to snort at the short man's actions.

"Listen up, you brats! We have two new members of the guild that must be welcomed! You are to treat these two like any other members! Regardless of anything that has happened in the past! If I find out that any of you have treated these children rudely, there will be hell to pay!", Makarov shouted over the noise.

Every member stopped what they were doing the moment their guild Master started shouting.

"Who're the new members, gramps?!", Natsu shouted from the first floor.

"These are Lucy's adopted children, Cobra and Midnight.", the Master yelled out, completely ignoring Natsu's outraged screech at his announcement.

Lucy couldn't help but flinch when she heard the next words out of her former best friend's mouth.

"THE FUCK DOES SHE THINK SHE'S DOING BRINGING THOSE BASTARDS HERE?!"

The entire guild went silent at his enraged yell.

Nobody could register what was happening until a blur of yellow flashed by them and a Natsu sized hole was left in one of the guilds walls. Everyone backed as far away from the enraged form that was Lucy. Her deadly aura rolling off her in waves.

Up on the balcony, Cobra held tightly to his best friend as he silently cried at the pink haired man's words. His small body shaking with anger. He hadn't even seen his mother move until he saw the pink haired man flying across the guild hall and going through a wall.

"If any of you say even a single cruel word to my children, you'll be joining Natsu on the fucking pavement.", she spat.

She turned on her heel and returned to the second floor. She scooped the kids up into her arms and swiftly made her way out of the guild hall. Not once did she look back.

One person however, watched the entire scene unfold intently. While nobody was watching, he merged his body with the shadows and followed the angry blonde woman out of the guild.

* * *

 **And there's chapter two! What'd you think? This story is un-betaed so I'm sorry if I missed any mistakes! I reread this chapter twice so I'm hoping I didn't miss too many mistakes. If I did, again I am sorry!**

 **Aww, they think of her as their mama. How cute. Mama Lucy is ready to kick some ass!**

 **I'm aware that I made Natsu kind of a douche in this story but that will change eventually, so don't worry!**

 **Sabertooth partially merged with Fairy Tail. I can already smell the drama.**

 **Why is Rogue following Lucy and her kids back home? Guess you'll just have to stick around and find out in the next chapter!**

 **Again, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**And we are back with Chapter Three! I am literally bursting with happiness due to all of the positive feedback! I didn't really expect this story to attract so many people so quickly, so thank you to everybody who has taken time out of their days to read this story and written a review for it! It means a lot, you have no idea!**

 **This chapter contains a lot of character building that needed to be done before the story could progress, so get ready for some interesting conversations, lol. I am aware that people are not completely in character, but this story isn't exactly a cannon story. Obviously the characters are going to act a little different than they did in the manga and anime. So bare with me, yeah?**

 **There will be a time skip towards the end of this chapter, just a heads up!**

 **Figured I should put some ages up here to make things a bit clearer. Switched up the ages a bit and this clearly takes place after the GMG. Should I throw the Tartaros arc in here at some point? Let me know if that is something you'd like to see! Okay, gonna end this offensively long authors note now. ;-;**

 **Lucy - 20**

 **Rogue and Sting - 21**

 **Cobra and Midnight - 8**

 **Gray and Natsu - 20**

 **Erza - 21**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot of this story. Trust me, if I owned Fairy Tail, Cobra, Midnight, and Rogue would have been the main characters. So. Much. Sexy. Dear. Lord.**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper**

* * *

Previously;

 _Nobody could register what was happening until a blur of yellow flashed by them and a Natsu sized hole was left in one of the guilds walls. Everyone backed as far away from the enraged form that was Lucy. Her deadly aura rolling off her in waves._

 _Up on the balcony, Cobra held tightly to his best friend as he silently cried at the pink haired man's words. His small body shaking with anger. He hadn't even seen his mother move until he saw the pink haired man flying across the guild hall and going through a wall._

 _"If any of you say even a single cruel word to my children, you'll be joining Natsu on the fucking pavement.", she spat._

 _She turned on her heel and returned to the second floor. She scooped the kids up into her arms and swiftly made her way out of the guild hall. Not once did she look back._

 _One person however, watched the entire scene unfold intently. While nobody was watching, he merged his body with the shadows and followed the angry blonde woman out of the guild._

* * *

Lucy entered her apartment and was hardly able to refrain herself from slamming the door purely out of anger. She knew that she had probably freaked the kids out enough by punching Natsu through a wall, she didn't want to outright scare them by becoming violent again. She set both children down and look a deep, calming breath. Once she was calmed, she let out an agitated sigh and turned towards the boys, instantly feeling guilty when she noticed their wide, confused eyes.

"I'm so sorry about what he said to you guys.", Lucy apologized sadly, her lips drawn down in a frown. She knew that her former partner wasn't going to take Cobra and Midnight's presence very well, but she hadn't expected him to fly into such a rage. Not only had he cursed at them, but he had looked like he was about to charge them and knock them flat. While it pained her to have to attack her first friend from the guild, she didn't regret protecting the kids that had quickly become her children.

"Why did that pink haired man say that about us?", Midnight whispered sadly. That man had looked at him and Cobra like they were they very incarnate of sin. He had looked like he was going to charge them and physically hurt him. But what he hadn't expected more than anything, was for his adopted mother to fly into a rage and attack the man before he could even move from his spot. He hadn't even seen her move and wasn't able to register what was going on until the man had gone flying across the guild and through a wall.

"Let's just say that you and Cobra remind him of some people that tried to hurt me in the past. You two aren't those people and he had absolutely no right to react the way he did. I'm sorry if I scared either of you.", the blonde explained with a sigh.

She removed her shoes before doing the same with the boys and led them through her tiny apartment. She took a seat of the couch and gestured for the boys to join her. They did so without hesitation and she wrapped her arms around her kids. She was surprised that Midnight had been the one to question what had happened, she had expected Cobra to be the one asking the questions. But he was being oddly silent, almost as if he was lost in his own thoughts.

"Is that going to happen every time we set foot in that building.", Midnight asked dejectedly.

Lucy's heart broke for the poor boy. As far as she was concerned, neither of her boys had done anything to deserve such treatment from the Fire Slayer. Or anyone, for that matter. She was sure that if she hadn't taken her boys and fled the building, that more holes would decorate the guild hall's walls. She had promised her boys that she would keep them safe and always protect them, even if it was from her own guild mates.

And that raised another small concern.

The new members from Sabertooth.

None of them had been present during the Nirvana or Infinity Clock incident, but that didn't mean that they were always the nicest people either. She had first hand experience when it came to the cruelty that the newly disbanded guild was capable of. Whether they had done so willingly or under orders from their former Master was a mystery to her though. She supposed that she couldn't judge them too harshly when she didn't have enough information to back up her feelings.

"No, Midnight. It will get better. But I don't plan on bringing you two around the guild very much until everybody has calmed down. They aren't normally like that, they're actually quite the lovable bunch most of the time.", Lucy replied with a shake of her head.

Just as Midnight was about to ask another question, a knock at the door interrupted him. Lucy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, just who could be showing up randomly on her doorstep right now? She swore that if it was Natsu coming to start more trouble, she'd rip him to shreds.

"You two stay put, I'll go see who it is.", she sighed. When both boys nodded in acceptance, she removed herself from her spot between them.

She peered through the peephole in her door and raised a confused eyebrow at the figure standing outside her door. She opened the door and looked at Rogue questioningly.

"Do I even want to know why you know where I live?", she sighed, truly not in the mood to deal with anymore Dragon Slayers, save for the small, brooding one currently sulking on her couch.

"Though it will make me sound like a total stalker, I followed you home. I had a feeling that you would be speaking with your children once you got home, so I gave you a few minutes of privacy.", Rogue explained with a small shrug.

"Are all men stalkers or is it just a Slayer thing? So far the only Slayer that hasn't shown up at my house is Sting, and I have a feeling that that will change within the next three days.", Lucy groaned. It was true, every Slayer had either shown up at her door or broken into her home at some point.

She supposed she could respect that Rogue had actually knocked instead of using the damned window. She'd lost count of how many times she'd had to lube up Laxus and Gejeel in order to either pull them inside or push them back out the window. It truly depended on her mood at the time.

"I can't tell if I should be offended or not.", Rogue admitted with a sigh. She wasn't wrong though, it was only a matter of time before Sting found a reason to break into Lucy's home.

"Take it however you'd like. I hate to be rude, but why are you here?", she asked with narrowed eyes, "If you're here to bad mouth my kids, you'll find yourself missing a few appendages."

"I have no interest in harming your children, though I must admit, I am curious as to how you came to have two eight year old children. If memory serves, you aren't old enough to have children so old.", Rogue explained easily.

"If you recall, Master clearly pointed out that I adopted them. Did you really come over here just to question where my kids came from?", she sighed, she really wished that the Shadow Slayer would just get to the point already. She had one child sulking like an angst filled teenager and one child who was currently on his way to a panic attack to take care of.

"Not quite, I was actually more curious about Natsu's outburst. He normally doesn't act that way when it comes to you from what I understand.", the black haired Slayer explained.

"If you're really that curious about what's going on between that Flaming Asshole and myself, come in and I'll explain in a few minutes. I've got a pissed off child and a sad child that need my attention at the moment.", the blonde relented before moving away from the door and opening i wider so the male could enter. She received a nod in return and closed the door once he was inside.

She gestured for Rogue to follow her and led him into the living room and noticed that Cobra was currently petting his best friend's hair in a soothing manner. The blonde couldn't help but smile at the maroon haired child's simple form of affection.

"Boys, this is Rogue. He's new to the guild to.", Lucy introduced, "Rogue, these are my kids Midnight and Cobra. Midnight is the cutie with black and white hair and the maroon haired boy is Cobra. Say hi, kiddos."

Midnight timidly waved at the taller, intimidating man while Cobra just scowled and nodded at the male. Lucy sighed internally when she realized that Cobra had finally broken out of his brooding thoughts.

"It's nice to meet both of you. I don't know if you remember me from earlier.", Rogue nodded towards the boys.

"You're the one that talked to our mom and didn't start questioning her about why we were with her, right?", Midnight asked softly.

If it hadn't been for his advanced hearing, Rogue was sure that he wouldn't have been able to hear the soft spoke words. He nodded wordlessly in response to the boy's question. In all honesty, if Lucy hadn't sent Natsu through a wall after his comment about the boys, he probably would have done it himself. He had been standing near Sting during the entire scene and had noticed that his partner had tensed as well. Though neither of them had really had contact with the blonde mage in the past, they could tell that she was a kind soul and didn't look down on them for their past crimes.

"You going to call my brother and I a bastard too?", Cobra bit out between clenched teeth. His indigo eyes narrowed at the older man, something was off about this man and he couldn't tell what it was. He smelled different than Midnight and his mother, he almost had a reptilian scent to him. Almost like his own.

"Of course not, I can tell you three are very happy together and I can honestly say that I mean none of you any ill will.", Rogue assured with a small shake of his head.

 _'This boy seems to be quite protective of his mother and brother. Quite common in Slayers but he is taking it to a whole new level.'_

"You have no idea just how badly I'd poison you if you so much as made my mother shed a tear.", the small boy hissed.

Rogue's eyes widened a fraction, had that boy just read his thoughts?!

"Not your thoughts, your soul.", Cobra corrected with a huff.

"Cobra has a special magic called Soul Listening Magic. He can hear just about everything, your innermost thoughts, he can hear the tensing of your muscles, the beating of your heart, everything.", Midnight explained quietly.

"So far, the only person who he can't hear is me.", Lucy threw in with a shrug before whipping around when she heard something bang against her bedroom window. She booked it out of them room to see what was going on in the next room.

A few moments later, Lucy walked back into the living room with two Exceeds in one arm and the terrified body of Rogue's partner, Sting, being dragged into the room behind her with the other.

"I believe this belongs to you?", she asked with a raised eyebrow before tossing Sting towards his partner. She rolled her eyes when Rogue quickly sidestepped away from his partner and snorted when the Holy Slayer face planted on the floor.

"What's with the cats?", Cobra asked with a raised eyebrow, completely ignoring to blonde male currently laying in a heap on the living room floor. He was quickly finding out that there was never a dull moment when it came to his mother. He noticed that Midnight's fingers were twitching as if he was resisting the urge to reach for the green cat wearing a pink frog suit.

"They're called Exceeds and they're our partners.", Rogue explained before removing the pink clad Exceed from Lucy's arms.

"Fro thinks so too!", the green Exceed giggled.

"Quit manhandling Sting, lady!", the red cat left in Lucy's arms demanded.

"Did those cats just talk?", Midnight asked with wide eyes, his jaw threatening to drop at any moment.

"Exceeds are different from normal cats, they're magical and are born from eggs. Most Dragon Slayers have them. The Exceed in my arms is Lector and Rogue's Exceed's name is Froche. Three of the Dragon Slayers back at the guild have them too. I think Cobra and Laxus are the only Slayers that don't have one at this point.", Lucy explained before setting the Exceed in her arms down next to his partner.

"So I'm going to have a talking cat at some point?", Cobra asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I want one, too.", Midnight pouted.

"Who knows, maybe we'll find an Exceed egg at some point and we'll become a family of four.", Lucy shrugged, "Now then, Sting. What the hell are you climbing through my window for?"

"I came looking for tall, dark, and brooding over here. Froche missed him and asked me to find him. Do you have any idea how hard it is to say no to her?", Sting complained.

"And you couldn't use my door why?", she groaned in response.

"Didn't think about that, to be honest.", the blonde slayer shrugged.

"Uh, mom? This guy is kind of an idiot.", Cobra piped up, his eye twitching at the older mans idiocy.

"I can't help but agree.", Rogue sighed.

"Me too.", Midnight nodded.

"Fro thinks so too!"

"That was insanely cute, Froche. I may have to kidnap you.", Lucy swooned. The little green Exceed was way too cute for her own good.

"I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from trying to steal my cat.", Rogue grunted.

"Not going to defend me here, Lector?", Sting pouted.

"Doors are your friend, Sting.", the red Exceed shrugged.

With a long suffering sigh, Sting lifted himself into a sitting position on the floor and pouted at the group of people around him. It seemed that everybody was against him today. Even Lector, and the cat practically worshiped him. He couldn't help but feel just a little betrayed.

"I have a question that I really, really need an answer to.", Midnight said quietly, his eyes still locked on Froche. He really wanted to pet the cute, green Exceed but didn't want to offend the small creature by thinking of her as a normal house pet.

"What's your question?", Rogue asked before settling Froche next to the boy. He could tell by the boys staring that he wanted to play with his cat and he wasn't about to prevent Froche from making more friends. He gave the boy a small smile when he gently picked up the Exceed and settled her in his lap, petting her head with a small grin.

"Why is that blonde man wearing a belly shirt? Is he trying to copy out mom?", Midnight asked, his gaze never leaving the pink clad critter in his lap.

The room went silent for a long moment before two thuds were heard, Lucy and Rogue collapsing to the ground, their bodies riddled with hysterical laughter. Cobra snorted with amusement at the question, he'd been wondering the same thing. What kind of man runs around in half a shirt, elbow length gloves, and whatever the hell he had wrapped around his neck and shoulders.

"This is my normal attire, you brat!", Sting snapped, instantly regretting his words when the sound of Rogue and Lucy's laughter stopped immediately.

"What did you just call my son, Sting?", Lucy asked softly, a deadly aura engulfing her presence.

"N-nothing!", the male cried desperately.

"I'd apologize before my mother shreds you.", Cobra yawned before patting Midnight's head.

"S-sorry!", The blonde male yelped.

"Don't be too upset with him, Lucy. Sting is quite literally the epitome of idiot. He has no filter and almost seems to be a glutton for punishment.", Rogue spoke up, mildly trying to calm down the blonde woman. He knew that she was insanely protective of her children, but he doubted she wanted to pay someone to fix her walls or scrub his partners blood out of her carpet. If they hadn't been indoors, he probably wouldn't have said a single word to stop her.

"Fro thinks so too!", Froche piped up from her spot on Midnight's lap. She had taken an instant liking to the timid boy but found his brother to be a little intense.

"I suppose you are right. Do you suppose that he's a masochist?", Lucy questioned as she gave Sting a hard glare.

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised.", Rogue admitted with a grunt.

"I swear to everything that is holy and sacred that if you don't stop thinking about my mother in her underwear I'll poison you so bad that you're dick will fall off.", Cobra barked before hopping down from the couch and marched straight over to Sting.

"Excuse me?", Lucy growled.

Rogue took a small, instinctive step back away from the Poison Slayer and his mother. Never before in his life had a child actually been able to instill even a little bit of fear in him. But he could tell that the eight year old Cobra was completely serious. He wanted to smack his partner for thinking such thoughts but didn't dare try to intervene with the angry child and his mother. He decided to err on the side of caution and walked over to the couch, plopping himself down next to Lucy's more timid child, the quiet boy was watching the scene unfold with interest.

"How the hell would you know what I'm thinking about, kid?!", Sting snapped, his brows furrowing in confusion. Apparently there was more to this woman's children than met the eye. He had watched the scene unfold down at the guild hall and had been close to jumping Natsu after this words towards the kids, but he hadn't expected them to be so fiercely protective.

"Soul Listening Magic, I hear everything.", Cobra growled, "Now quit thinking nasty thoughts about my mother, you pervert."

"Have some respect, Sting. There are not only children present, but other people as well.", Rogue called out from his position on the couch.

"I can't help it that she has the hot MILF thing going on!", the blonde slayer complained with a pout.

"You should be honored that Sting has taken an interest in you!", Lector protested.

"Don't test me cat, I'll give Froche every piece of fish in this house and force you to watch her eat it and I'll tell her not to share.", Lucy threatened the red Exceed.

Lector's face quickly turned into a firm mask of pure horror.

"I don't even want to know how your thoughts went from perverted to flat our stupid, Blondie. Why are you thinking about Rogue wearing a pink frog suit like his cat while he dances to the Nyan Nyan song?", Cobra asked, his eye twitching with disgust.

Rogue well and truly blanched at the thought.

Midnight just continued petting the now snoozing Exceed in his lap.

Lucy snorted at the Holy Slayers thoughts.

Lector was still horrified at the thought of being forced to go fishless.

"We need to find a way for this guy to block me from hearing his soul, I never want to listen to his soul ever again. It's creepy.", Cobra shuddered.

"I'll look into it as soon as I have a chance.", Rogue offered, his face still pale.

"That'd be great.", the maroon haired child grunted.

"Well, this has been fun but I have two kids to feed and I need to start looking for a house. I'd offer to to have you four stay for dinner but I don't have enough food in this house to feed three Dragon Slayers, two Exceeds, and two normal people.", Lucy sighed, suddenly completely worn out. Today had been way more eventful than she had expected, especially with her unexpected company. Not that she minded having with of the Slayers or the cats in her home, but she just wanted to get her boys settled in and to get started on house hunting. She wanted to be moved into a house within the next couple of weeks if she could manage it.

"Understood, when you find a house that you are interested in buys, let us know. We'd be more than happy to help you move your things.", Rogue offered with a small smile.

"That'd be great, actually. Especially since I don't think anyone from the guild is going to be offering to help me anytime soon. Plus hauling my bed plus the beds I need to buy for these two is going to be torture.", Lucy replied gratefully.

"It's the least we can do, Blondie.", Sting smirked smugly.

"You're blonde too, you know.", Midnight pointed out absently.

"If there isn't anything else, we will get out of your hair.", Rogue said before holding his arms out for Froche. He smirked when Midnight pouted as he handed the man his friend. It looked like the small boy had bonded with his little buddy in such a short time.

"I can't think of anything else, but if you two ever have to go on a job where it might be too dangerous for Lector and Froche, let me know. I'd be happy to look after them whenever you need me too.", Lucy offered with a grin. She silently hoped that she and her boys would come across and Exceed egg of their own at some point. After watching Midnight bond so quickly with Fro, her hope of finding an egg grew immensely. Maybe when they moved they'd have to get some kind of pet.

"We will keep that in mind, thank you.", the Shadow Slayer replied thankfully before heading towards the door, his blonde partner not far behind.

"I guess we'll see you guys later. When you guys decide to make a trip to the guild, come find us. I doubt Natsu will bother you if we're around.", Sting smirked before closing the door behind him and following his dark haired partner out of the apartment building.

Lucy just shook her head and let out a small laugh as the two men and their Exceeds left her home. Once the door was shut, she turned towards her boys and shot them a grin.

"They're not so bad, eh?", she asked.

"I like them, they weren't mean to us like that pink haired man.", Midnight shrugged, his lap feeling way too empty without Froche curled up with him.

"Aside from that blonde man's creepy thoughts, I guess they're alright.", Cobra offered with a shrug of his own.

"I guess we'll be seeing more of them from now on, not that I mind. Are you two okay with those four coming over more often if they want to?", Lucy inquired as she left the living room and started to rummage around in her cupboards, trying to find something quick and simple for dinner. They'd had enough excitement for one day and she really wasn't feeling up to cooking a large meal. If all else failed, she'd order some take out and call it good.

"As long as they bring Froche with, I don't mind.", Midnight said with a small smile. He removed himself from the couch and walked into the kitchen, observing his mother dig through the fridge and cupboards in search of something for dinner.

"As long as I don't have to see imaginary images of my mother in weird positions in Sting's head, I don't really care.", Cobra grunted as he followed his brother and best friend into the kitchen. He passed Midnight and started digging under the sink and pulled out a small bottle of bleach. He easily popped the cap off and took a long swig of the toxic liquid. He let out a contented sigh before replacing the cover and put it back where he'd found it.

"If you were any other child, I would have been screaming bloody murder by now. I don't think I will ever get used to watching you drink toxic chemicals that would kill anyone else.", Lucy groaned.

"Sorry, Mom.", the poison slayer chuckled.

"No you aren't", Midnight and Lucy snorted at the same time.

"Good point."

"I give up, take out for dinner tonight?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Sure."

"Language, Cobra!"

"Yes, mother."

"That's what I thought."

* * *

Three weeks later, Lucy and her boys were officially moved into their new home. The blonde had gotten their four bedroom, two bathroom house for quite the steal and she couldn't have been happier. Not only would her boys have their own rooms and their own space, they had a spare bedroom for whenever one of the Twin Dragons decided to become one with her home. They had helped her moved all of her and her sons' belongings into the house a week prior and the place was finally starting to feel like home.

Not only was she satisfied with the layout of her spacious home, she was happy that she had both a front yard and a back yard. Her boys had already made use of the space and had begun practicing and honing their magic. She had spent as much of her free time as possible researching Midnight's unique form of magic so she could help him to the best of her ability. Sting and Rogue had taken it upon themselves to help Cobra with his magic, which Lucy was extremely grateful for. There was no better teacher for a slayer than another slayer, after all.

Over the course of the week that they had been living in their home, the Twin Slayers were almost constant guests in her home. Orga and Rufus had stopped by their first day in the house and had offered their own assistance if she should ever need it for whatever reason. She found it strange that the former Sabertooth members had taken more of an interest in her and her children than the guild mates that had known her for years. She had brought her boys to the guild hall a number of times within the last few weeks and rarely did any of the Fairy Tail originals approach her.

The only ones that ever greeted her were Master, Mira, Laxus and his team, Gajeel, and Wendy. Laxus and Lucy had made up fairly quickly after the incident that had happened when she had first brought Midnight and Cobra to the guild. He had decided to give them a chance after she had explained their situation privately with him. She was doing everything in her power to keep the boys' pasts from them. If they ever found out what they had done in the past, she had no doubt that the poor boys would be crushed that they'd tried to harm their mother in the past.

Especially since they couldn't remember anything about it.

Lucy watched as her boys trained out in the backyard as she whipped together a simple lunch for the four boys and two cats currently occupying her backyard. She watched as Cobra easily activated his scales and charged at his brother, only to be shot off to the side with the use of his brother's magic. They had made a habit of training as much as they could when they had downtime. Part of her was proud of her boys and their determination to get stronger, but another part of her wanted them to enjoy their childhoods just a little bit more.

She knew that training was important to them and that they wanted to protect their family, but the amount of time that they spent training was almost excessive. Over the course of three and a half weeks, they had trained almost everyday with Sting and Rogue. Before they had moved into the house, the Twin Slayers would lead the boys out of town and train in the forests just outside of town. Lucy would always tag along and keep the Exceeds entertained while they watched the boys try their hardest to land a single hit on the older males.

Orga and Rufus had even joined in the training sessions for a short while.

The few times that they'd attended the training sessions, Rufus had taken a serious interest in Cobra's toxic magic. He had asked the young boy to show him a few of his spells so he could memorize him. The young boy had agreed on the terms of the masked wizard helping him craft new spells that her could use with his magic. To say the very least, the two were becoming quite the powerful duo.

Midnight on the other hand, didn't like hurting people at all. He would never engage in a fight, he'd just stand there and deflect the attacks that came at him. If a physical attack came his way, he would gracefully sidestep out of the way. He didn't want to cause anyone pain and everyone had tried to explain to the young boy that sometimes you had to defend yourself from people who would try to harm you in extreme ways. He'd been worried at first that he would accidentally harm his brother during their spars but was slowly starting to do more than deflect attacks.

Sting and Rogue had been a huge help with the kids. They'd quickly developed a strange attachment to both boys. She didn't know if it was because Cobra was a slayer just like them, or if it was because both boys didn't have a father and they felt the need to provide both of them with a male role model. Either way, she was grateful for their involvement in the their lives. With them around, not only did her boys have male role models, she had adult company. Raising two boys was in no way easy and they helped take a little bit of the stress away. She knew that it was coming time for her to take a job again and it would be the first job she took the boys on.

She had toyed with the idea of asking Rogue and Sting to accompany them, but couldn't decide if she should go ahead and ask them or not. She had no doubt that they would agree to go with, but she didn't want to ask them to take a pay cut due to having three other people on the team with them. She doubted they'd really care though. The duo shared a small apartment not too far away from her house and spent most of their time with her and the boys anyway. She couldn't even remember the last time the Twins had even eaten in their own home.

They had basically become her unofficial roommates, for a lack of a better term. And she quite liked it.

She heard the back door open and watched as her sons, the Twins, and the Exceeds all filed into her kitchen. They were dirty and covered in sweat but she couldn't bring herself to care. She smirked at all six of them and gestured for them to have a seat at the table. She grabbed two plates piled high with assorted finger sandwiches and set them down on the table. She retracted her hands quickly when four hands snatched out to devour every crumb of food that she set in front of them. She'd grown used to feeding three Dragon Slayers and had found that Midnight had an bottomless pit of a stomach as well.

She blamed it on him spending so much time with three Dragon Slayers.

With a small shake of her head, she grabbed a third plate that was stacked with fish and set it in front of the two Exceeds sitting on her table. They ate in a more mild mannered pace and she couldn't help but giggle.

"Aren't you going to eat, Blondie?", Sting asked through a mouthful of sandwich.

"I made sure to eat before you guys came in. I learned my lesson the first time I fed you guys after a training session. I like my hands where they are.", she smirked.

"Probably wise, mom.", Midnight snickered.

One thing she was extremely happy about was the fact that Midnight had broken out of his shell and wasn't so timid anymore. He had developed a bit of a snarky attitude over the course of the last couple of weeks. It was nice to see the eight year old express himself without worrying about getting in trouble for it.

"Mom, do we still have that lavender bleach underneath the sink?", Cobra asked through his own mouthful of sandwich.

Lucy had all but given up on telling all four boys to not talk with their mouths full. It was a total lost cause. Well, it was more so Sting and Cobra that did it, but Rogue and Midnight were known to do it too on occasion.

"I think there's some left, why? Plan on doing some more training once you're done eating?", Lucy inquired, her eyes narrowing at her son.

"Rufus is coming over later to help me with my Toxic Sound Wave. I need all the energy I can get!", the maroon haired boy explained.

Deciding that it was best not to argue with her son when it came to training with Rufus, she threw her arms up in defeat. She ducked back into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of bleach from under the sink. She walked back into the dining room and tossed the chemicals in her older sons direction. She had found out three days after taking the boys in that they were only four months apart. Cobra being born in May and Midnight being born September.

She was just grateful that they'd told her right away, she would have felt the the worst mother on Earthland if she hadn't celebrated her kid's birthdays when they came around. Cobra's ninth birthday would be coming up in a few short weeks and she still couldn't decide what to get the stubborn boy. She'd asked him what he wanted and he always told her that her being his and Midnight's mother was enough for him. It always caused her to pout at her son but he always shrugged. She'd just have to ask Rufus or one of the Twins what to get him. They'd probably know.

"You're the best, mom.", Cobra all but moaned around the floral chemicals.

"My son thinks I'm the best because I allow him to poison himself. I feel like that's a little backwards.", Lucy laughed.

"He isn't wrong, Lucy. You have been raising these boys well over the course of the last month or so. They are very lucky to have you.", Rogue mentioned after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"You're just saying that because she feeds us, you kiss ass.", Sting grunted. He yelped when he felt Lucy's hand swiftly connect with the back of his head.

"At least one of you is grateful for everything I do for you two.", Lucy pouted.

"Hey! I'm grateful for what you do for us!", the blonde slayer protested.

"You are? When was the last time you thanked our mom for feeding you, patching your wounds, or letting you sleep in the guest room...I can keep going on if you want.", Midnight listed off lazily.

"I get the point, no need to rub it in. Just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I'm not grateful. I mean, it feels like I have a little sister taking care of me.", Sting grumbled.

"I don't know which is scarier, you thinking of me as a sister or the fact that my son just wrecked your life.", Lucy snickered.

"You wound me, little sister!", the older blonde cried dramatically.

"If it's any consolation, I just think of you as a dear friend.", Rogue commented with a smirk.

"I can live with that, one bone head for a brother is enough for me.", Lucy replied with her own smirk.

"You think we're both bone heads?!", Sting and Rogue demanded, feigning offence at her words.

"Okay, okay, Rogue is the smart one and I'm completely convinced that Sting was dropped on his head at some point.", the younger blonde conceded.

"It was one time and Weisslogia felt like a dick for it!", Sting defended himself with a pout.

"It was at least four times and you know it.", Rogue objected.

"I have no idea what's going on, do you?", Midnight asked, turning towards his older brother.

"Not a damn clue.", the elder replied with a shrug.

"Language, young man."

"Sorry, mother."

Just as Sting was about to make a comment about the young slayer being whipped, a knock on the door interrupted him.

"I wonder who that could be?", Lucy wondered out loud. Cobra had mentioned that Rufus would be coming by later, but the Memory Mage never knocked before entering her home. She looked at the three Dragon Slayers, silently asking them to sniff out whoever was at her door.

"Mom, don't freak out.", Cobra sighed.

"Who is outside our house?", Lucy asked, her lips thinning into a straight line.

"Fire Crotch and the rest of your former team is at the front door.", Sting sighed.

"Do you want one of us to tell them to leave?", Rogue asked kindly, trying his best to stay calm.

"No, it's time this bullshit was resolved.", Lucy replied with a shake of her head.

Without waiting for a response, she exited the dining room and made her way through the living room and towards the front door. She took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. She could do this, she could restrain her urge to beat Natsu into an unrecognizable pulp. Why Erza, Gray, and Happy were with him, she had no idea. But she was about to find out. With one last sigh, she opened the door, giving the four Fairy Tail members on her doorstep a steely glare.

"Can I help you with something?", she demanded.

"We just wanna talk, Lucy. May we come in?", Erza spoke up calmly.

"I don't think so.", she denied.

There was no way in hell they were stepping foot inside her home. Especially since she could practically feel the murderous intent rolling off the Twin Slayers and her children in the dining room. Allowing her former team into her home would easily end in broken furniture and blood stained floors. She'd just mopped the damn floors, there was no way that they were going to mess up her squeaky clean home.

Especially since her older son had just drank the last of her goddamn bleach.

"Can't we just sit down and talk, Lucy?", Gray sighed. He felt like a total prick for not approaching her sooner, he really did. He understood her anger towards them but he doubted that they rest of the former team understood it.

"No, you four aren't entering this house. Whatever you have to say, you can say from where you are standing.", she replied firmly. They had about three seconds to explain themselves before she unleashed the four very angry wizards currently occupying her dining room on them.

"We came to apologize for the way we've been treating you for the past few weeks. We don't quite understand the situation that you are in with Cobra and Midnight but we want to help if you will allow us.", Ezra explained.

"Past few weeks? Are you high? None of you have uttered so much as two words to me in almost five fucking months! And you know what? The first words I hear come out of any of your mouths is Natsu calling my _children_ bastards!", Lucy barked angrily. They just didn't get it, did they.

"We really are sorry, Lucy. Is there anything we can do to make it up to you?", Gray asked.

"First off, it isn't me that you need to fucking apologize to. Secondly, it's my kids that you need to apologize to. While being ignored for five months by my former team and the people I _thought_ were my best friends hurt like hell, I'm more concerned about the fact that all of you at the guild have treated my sons like garbage since I brought them back with me.", she snapped.

"So let us in so we can say we're sorry to your kids.", Natsu grumbled.

"Oh no, you're going to apologize to them in front of the goddamn guild. Because almost every member owes them a damn apology. You know, Laxus and his team, Wendy, the Sabertooth boys, Gajeel, Master, and Mira are the only ones who haven't treated my children like shit. As far as I'm concerned, the entire guild aside from them is guilty.", Lucy remarked with a click of her tongue. If they couldn't sack up and apologize to her kids in front of the guild, then she knew that they truly weren't sorry for how they'd acted towards them.

"Fine, bring Cobra and Midnight to the guild tomorrow around noon. We'll make sure everyone is there.", Gray agreed.

Lucy didn't offer an answer other than a stiff nod of her head before slamming the door in their faces.

"Boys! All five of you plus Fro! We're going to the guild tomorrow at noon!", Lucy called out from across the house.

When she heard all six of them grunt in approval, she let out a sigh and returned to the dining room, immediately sinking into the only empty chair next to Rogue.

"I will make sure to let Orga and Rufus know about this development when they get here later this evening. Are you okay with all of us crashing here tonight? We could all head to the guild together tomorrow.", Rogue offered.

"Since when is Orga coming over? And sure, that sounds great.", the younger blonde agreed with a small nod.

"I called Rufus while you were talking to your former team and let him know what was going on. He said he'd grab Orga and they'd be over in about an hour.", the Shadow Slayer explained.

"Works for me. Good thing I made sure to get a pullout couch when I moved in here. You and Rogue can take the guest room, Rufus can take the couch, and Orga can take the pullout since he's gigantic.", Lucy decided after a moment of thought.

"Going to be quite an interesting day tomorrow.", Sting thought out loud.

"I'm apologizing in advance in case I decide to poison Pinky.", Cobra mentioned with a small shrug.

"I wouldn't blame you one bit if he did.", Lucy replied with a shrug of her own. In reality, Natsu kind of deserved it.

"Told you guys we have the coolest mom ever.", Midnight piped up smugly.

"Fro thinks so too!"

"My family is fucking nuts.", Lucy mumbled.

"Language, mother."

"...shut up."

* * *

 **Okay! So this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I had expected, but really, who is going to have a problem with that?! Seriously. Almost 8000 words, aren't I a nice lady?**

 **I promise that I did't just write this all in one sitting while listening to Fairy Tail music, because I'll try to deny it.**

 **This story is un-beta-ed so I apologize if I missed any mistakes that I made!**

 **All sorts of stuff going on!**

 **Lucy and her sons moved into a house.**

 **Rogue and Sting have formed a bond with our favorite blonde bombshell and her kiddos!**

 **They're honing their magic, baby!**

 **They're getting a public apology next chapter!**

 **Can you imagine the beastly spells that Rufus and Cobra could create together, like holy shit. O_O**

 **Anyway!**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another monster of a chapter! Kinda? I dunno, you decide if it's a monster or not. Either way, it took for goddamn ever to write! Kept getting distracted...Anyway! I hope the wait was worth it. I totally didn't write this chapter while binge listening to Fairy Tail tunes on loop again, I'll once again deny that shit real quick.**

 **Also! The ending of this chapter is literally going to be readers choice. This is one of the only times I'm going to allow the readers to take the reins and decide the direction that this story is going to go in, so make sure to read the authors note at the bottom! It's pretty damn important for this story.**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story.**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper**

* * *

Previously;

 _"Works for me. Good thing I made sure to get a pullout couch when I moved in here. You and Rogue can take the guest room, Rufus can take the couch, and Orga can take the pullout since he's gigantic.", Lucy decided after a moment of thought._

 _"Going to be quite an interesting day tomorrow.", Sting thought out loud._

 _"I'm apologizing in advance in case I decide to poison Pinky.", Cobra mentioned with a small shrug._

 _"I wouldn't blame you one bit if he did.", Lucy replied with a shrug of her own. In reality, Natsu kind of deserved it._

 _"Told you guys we have the coolest mom ever.", Midnight piped up smugly._

 _"Fro thinks so too!"_

 _"My family is fucking nuts.", Lucy mumbled._

 _"Language, mother."_

 _"...shut up."_

* * *

About an hour later, the telltale signs of Rufus and Orga entering her home could be heard. She heard her front door click open and the shuffling of shoes being removed before two sets of steady footsteps made their way towards the kitchen. Lucy rinsed the dish in her hand and wiped her hands on a clean towel before turning to greet the two men.

"About time you two showed up, Cobra hasn't stopped asking how much longer you two would be since everyone finished eating. Speaking of which, have you two eaten?", Lucy greeted with a smirk.

"We made sure to eat before we came over, we didn't want to burden you with more mouths to feed when we got here.", Rufus replied with a smirk of his own.

"I feed three Dragon Slayers and a child who eats just as much as they do on a daily basis. Feeding a God Slayer and you wouldn't make a difference.", Lucy said with a shrug. "There's beer in the fridge from the last time you were here, Orga. Please drink that nasty crap up before I wake up to a very drunk Sting."

"Don't mind if I do.", the God Slayer replied before moving past her and extracting the half case of beer he'd left in her fridge at some point. He cracked the tab and took a greedy drink before shooting the small woman a grin.

"I'm assuming you two are going to join the others outside while they train?", Lucy inquired, half tempted to join in on the training session herself. Her kids had been bugging her the last couple of days and kept asking to spar with her. While the thought of even harming her children bothered her, she knew it would be good for them to have a better understanding of her magic. Especially since she was going to take them on their first official job soon.

"Of course. I have more to teach Cobra today.", the masked wizard nodded.

"I'll probably just sit back and watch this time. Why don't you take my place, maybe you'll be able to whip Sting and Rogue into shape. Pun completely intended.", Orga replied around his beer.

"I was actually thinking about doing just that. Midnight and Cobra have been bugging me for days about sparring with them or letting them watch me spar with someone. Maybe I'll have to finally cave and sight one of the Twins. Even if I really don't want to.", the blonde sighed. She'd sparred with the other Slayers before, and it rarely ended well. She either ended up burnt to a crisp, ended up with a terrible static electricity problem, had her clothing literally blown off with a gust of wind, of got stuck picking shrapnel out of her skin for days.

She didn't even want to know what Sting or Rogue could do to her. The thought was absolutely terrifying.

"I highly doubt either of them would actually hurt you. At least fighting one of them ensures that your clothing would stay in one piece.", Orga pointed out.

"I guess I can't disagree there. Well, actually, I can. Sting could probably blast my clothing off with his magic. Rogue though? I'm not so sure.", Lucy grimaced.

"Trust me, I don't think Rogue is going to try to harm you in any way any time soon.", Rufus smirked knowingly.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?", Lucy questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing you need to worry about right now. Why don't we head outside and join them.", Orga suggested, completely cutting off Lucy's next line of questioning. Rufus had totally let one slip and Rogue would probably kill both of them is the masked mage continued.

"Sure, why not. Dishes are done anyway and I don't have any blood stains to clean up yet.", the blonde agreed before leading the two men outside and into the backyard.

Lucy sat down on the small deck in her backyard and watched as her boys trained with the Twin Slayers. They'd truly begun to progress since they'd started to train with Sting and Rogue. She couldn't even imagine how she would be able to thank them and repay them for everything they'd done for her kids. Rufus and Orga had helped them out too and she would forever be grateful for it. She turned her head towards Midnight when he cut off his magic and turned towards her.

"You actually going to join us this time, mom?!", Midnight asked excitedly. He loved his mother's magic. As promised, she'd shown him and Cobra quite a bit of her magic, but he was yet to see her in actual combat. While the thought of harm coming to his mother bothered both him and his brother, he knew that she was clearly a capable mage. But after reading about the Star Dress, he was really interested in seeing it in action.

"I guess I could spare a little bit to work off some energy. But keep in mind, we'll probably be hitting the sheets a bit earlier tonight since we have a lot going on tomorrow. Speaking of which, I need to speak with Rogue and Sting later about something. Rufus and Orga too.", Lucy mumbled to herself.

"What do you have to talk to them about that we can't know about, mom?", Cobra grunted from his place on the lawn.

"It's a surprise.", Lucy snickered.

"I sometimes hate that I can't hear you.", the maroon haired boy pouted.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear that at least once a day. Now, who am I sparring with since you and your brother want to see me fight someone so badly.", Lucy sighed, effectively changing to subject.

"What do you think, Midnight? Who should mom take on?", Cobra smirked, letting his mothers secretiveness go for the moment.

"How about Rogue? I'd be an interesting mix.", the pale boy offered, his finger tapping against his chin as he thought.

"I'm up for it if your mother is.", Rogue shrugged, internally pouting at the thought of possibly hurting Lucy. He shot Cobra a small glare when the boy shot him a knowing smirk. Damn that boy and his ability to hear literally everything!

"I guess I have no choice. The only thing I ask is that we don't completely obliterate my yard. I rather enjoy having grass.", Lucy nodded before lifting herself from the deck and moved across the yard towards the Shadow Slayer.

"I can agree with those terms.", Rogue agreed.

"You going to use your Star Dress, mom?!", Midnight asked, his red eyes shining with excitement.

"Of course. I've been meaning to get in some extra training with it and this is the perfect chance to get in some good experience.", Lucy nodded.

"Shall we begin then?", Rogue asked with a small smile, his insides churning at the thought of accidentally harming her.

"Hurt my mother and you'll be spending a lot of intimate time with the bathroom.", Cobra threatened just loud enough for the other Slayers to hear. He heard Sting snort while Rogue visibly paled.

"Begin!", Midnight cheered.

"Star Dress Equip! Taurus!", Lucy cried out.

Her entire body was consumed in a brilliant, golden light. When the light faded away, she stood in front of Rogue with a smirk. Gone were her usual clothing, her jean shorts and off shoulder crop top had been replaced with a cow printed bikini style top, cow printed arm warmers that cut off at her elbows, tight, black leather shorts that barely covered her rear, and mid calf length, black leather boots. She ignored the strangled gurgling sounds that came from both of her children along with the tell tale signs of a nose bleed that came from Sting.

Had she forgotten to mention that her Star Dress forms typically left her next to nothing when it came to her new attire?

"Mom! Put some clothes on!", Cobra demanded, his eye twitching at his barely dressed mother.

"I second that motion!", Midnight cried.

Both boys, plus Sting and Rogue whirled when they heard the next words to come out of the Memory Make Mages mouth.

"Memorized.", Rufus smirked with a teasing lilt. Little did he know that Lucy's children wouldn't take his words as a harmless joke.

"Dude, you're dead.", Orga grunted before stepping away from the masked mage. There was no way in hell that he was getting between Lucy's kids and their revenge against his guild mate. He wasn't ready to die yet. He'd rather fight Zeref himself or admit that Laxus was the better lightening user. And seeing that neither or things were going to happen anytime soon, he backed the fuck away from the man who'd direly offended a grown ass woman's children.

"So are we going to spar or are we going to prevent my children from quite literally murdering your team mate?", Lucy asked with a bark of laughter. Her children were so over protective that it was actually quite hilarious.

"I think it would be best if we stopped Cobra and Midnight. Cobra just bit Rufus and I have no doubt in my mind that he is about three seconds away from unleashing a roar on him.", Rogue decided with wide eyes. He'd seen Dragon Slayers lose it plenty of time in the past, but this was on a whole different level.

"You and Sting tackle Cobra, I'll grab Midnight.", the blonde replied before charging towards her youngest son.

Lucy well and truly tackled her youngest son before he was able to unleash a wave of his magic upon the Memory Mage. She didn't blame her children for getting upset, but this was a bit much. She held the once timid child in her arms as tightly as she could without hurting him, her neck craned back to dodge the trashing of his head. She watched as Cobra knocked Sting across the yard with a powerful wave of toxic mist with wide eyes. She'd have to make her son extract the poison once he was calm.

She watched Rogue disappear into the ground and into his shadow form as he closed in on her eldest. If there was anyone who could stop the small slayer, it would be Rogue. She watched with bated breath as the elder slayer emerged from the ground and tackled Cobra to the ground. She flinched when she saw the son's fangs dig deeply into Rogue's arm but refused to let go of the son she held in her arms. She flinched again when she heard Rogue cry out in agony as poison flooded his veins at a rapid pace.

Not knowing what else to do, she screamed out for her children to stop as loudly as she could. At that point, she didn't care if she destroyed their eardrums, shattered a window, or caused someone to call the police. She just wanted them to stop. She moment her scream left her lips, Midnight froze in her arms and she saw Cobra's wild eyes return to normal. She turned her head to see Sting slowly lifting himself from the ground, small trails of blood trickling down his cheek and soaking into the material of his shirt.

"That's enough, both of you.", Lucy whispered. She wasn't angry that the boys had gotten angry and had wanted defend her, no, she was more disappointed that they would outright attack one of their friends for a silly comment.

"B-but, mom! You heard what he said about you!", Midnight defended from his place in his mother's arms.

"I heard him just fine, but if you had listened just a little closer, you would have been able to tell that he was just making an innocent joke. Cobra, let go on Rogue's arm and extract every ounce of poison you put into Rogue, Rufus, and Sting.", Lucy ordered sternly, hoping her voice didn't waver too much.

Cobra wordlessly extracted his jaws from the elder slayers arm and immediately called back the poison that he had pumped into all three men's bodies. He felt ashamed that he had not only scared his mother, but had ignored the teasing thoughts that had been running through Rufus' mind before he and Midnight attacked. Once all the poison was out of their bodies, he wordlessly picked himself up off the ground and stalked into the house. The slam of his bedroom door followed soon after he entered the house.

"I'm sorry we scared you, mom.", Midnight whimpered, immediately feeling guilty about his actions now that he'd calmed down. He hadn't even taken a moment to think before he'd charged at Rufus. And because of that, three people he held dear had been hurt and he'd frightened his mother in the process.

"It isn't me that you need to apologize to, Rufus is the one that deserves your apology.", Lucy replied with a firm shake of her head.

Midnight nodded at his mother before turning towards the masked mage mere feet away from him, "I'm sorry, Rufus. I shouldn't have attacked you."

"All in the past, Midnight. I can respect that you wished to protect your mother. But in the future, please do try to distinguish a joke from seriousness. I'd rather not get attacked every time I make a joke.", Rufus replied with a small smile and a wave of his hand.

"Wait a minute, why the hell didn't Orga step in and help us when Cobra went nuts?", Sting groaned from his place on the lawn.

"Idiot passed out drunk about five minutes before it happened. He really should stop drinking so quickly, he'll either die of alcohol poisoning or end up becoming a regular at AA meetings. Whichever happens first.", Rogue grunted before lifting himself from the ground. He knew that Slayers like himself had sharp teeth, but goddamn that kid could bite. He'd be surprised if he didn't end up with a scar after the bite he'd just received. He and Sting would have to have a chat with him about his instincts as soon as goddamn possible to make sure shit like this didn't go down again anytime soon.

"Why am I not surprised?", Sting muttered mostly to himself.

"I'm assuming that Fro and Lector are passed out somewhere as well?", Lucy inquired. Thinking about it now, she hadn't really seen either of the Exceeds since she'd made lunch a couple hours prior.

"Food comas.", Midnight supplied.

Lucy nodded and released her grasp on her son. She was sure that he wouldn't attack Rufus again, especially since his brother had all but fled into the house.

"Why don't you and the guys clean up and I'll go have a short chat with Cobra.", the blonde woman suggested, her gaze trailing towards the back door of the house.

"That sounds good to me. Why don't we just order some take out for dinner tonight? I don't know about you, but I don't really feel up to cooking.", Rogue supplied with a shrug. That entire situation had taken just about all of his energy out of him and doing any sort of manual labor, even something like cooking, had lost all sense of appeal.

"Works for me.", Lucy agreed with a small shrug before shooing her son off her lap and pulled herself and Midnight off the ground.

Midnight watched his mother head into the house before turning towards the men in the yard, staring at them with a horribly guilty expression.

"Don't worry about it, kid. You did what you thought was right and reacted purely on instinct. Now, why don't we get cleaned up and get some dinner ordered before your mother comes back and skins us alive?", Sting suggested with a small smirk.

Midnight just nodded and followed the other's into the house to get cleaned up.

None of them bothered to even attempt to move Orga's hulking body from the deck.

* * *

Lucy internally groaned as she mentally prepared herself for the talk she was about to have with her oldest son. She knew that something like this was bound to happen eventually, but she hadn't expected Cobra or Midnight to attack the former Tigers that were currently occupying her house. If anything, she had expected them to pounce on Natsu or someone at the guild hall. The fact that they'd lost their tempers at home was a bit of a concern. She had a feeling that his rage was more so due to his Dragon instincts and would have to question the Twins about that later.

She took a moment to take a calming breath before knocking on her son's door. Once she heard him grunt, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside. She closed the door behind her and tried to ignore the mess that decorated Cobra's bedroom floor. The kid didn't understand the beauty that was a clean bedroom. She sidestepped over piles of dirty clothes, discarded books, and sat on the edge of his bed.

"You going to yell at me for poisoning Rufus, Sting, and Rogue?", Cobra muttered from his spot on the bed. He had a pillow clutched tightly in his arms and his knees drawn up to his chest. His indigo eyes were filled with guilt and shame and it broke Lucy's heart to see him in such a state.

"No, I'm not going to yell because I know that you can hear me just fine without raising my voice. Both forms of your magic stole my right to yell from me.", she teased.

"Then why are you here?", Cobra grumbled into the pillow in his arms.

"I wanted to ask you why you got so upset with Rufus when he made a joke about my attire. Did I forget to mention that my Star Dress forms change the clothing I'm wearing?", Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You never mentioned it. I got mad because of what he said, I thought he was being pervy. But I should have taken a moment to listen to his soul because then I would have known that he was only joking with you. But after he said that, I just kinda flew off the handle, you know?", the maroon haired boy explained with a small sigh. Now that he was saying this out loud, he was only feeling worse about the scene he and his brother had caused.

"I can understand why you got upset and I wouldn't have stepped in if an enemy had said something about that. But when we are home, you need to realize that none of those men downstairs would ever doing anything to disrespect me or my children.", Lucy stated firmly.

"I know and I feel like crap for it. I should probably apologize to them, huh?"

"Yes. And after you've apologized, we are going to eat some dinner and go to bed. It's getting late and we have quite a long day ahead of us tomorrow.", his mother nodded.

"Thanks for understanding, mom.", Cobra said with a small smile.

"I'm your mom, being understanding of cranky Dragon Slayers kind of comes with the territory.", she teased in response.

After a few more words were exchanged between mother and son, the duo left the chaos that served as Cobra's room. They made their way back downstairs and into the living room where everyone, save for Orga and the still passed out Exceeds, had made themselves comfortable. Midnight had a thick tome in his lap, what he was reading, Lucy couldn't tell from so far away. Rufus had what looked like a sappy romance novel in his hand, no doubt memorizing the sexy scenes like the closet pervert he probably was. Rogue and Sting though, they looked like they were having an intense staring contest of some kind.

"Do I even want to know what you two are doing?", Lucy inquired, her hands on her hips as she observed the Twin Dragon's little staring contest.

"He stole my favorite chair!", Sting wailed dramatically before pointing threateningly at his partner.

"Are you serious?", Lucy and Cobra deadpanned together.

"In his defense, that chair his sickeningly comfortable.", Rufus pointed out before returning to his book.

Everyone ignored the mumbled 'memorized' that spilled from his lips a moment later.

"Well, did you four at least get the food ordered? I'm starving for food that I didn't have to cook.", Lucy inquired before shooing Midnight to the side so she could take a seat next to him. Her youngest son didn't even look up from his book as he scooted himself across the couch cushions.

"What's Midnight reading anyway?", Cobra asked. He couldn't even make out what the hell his best friend and brother was reading. His thoughts were running a mile a minute and Cobra knew that if he tried to sort through them, he'd only succeed in giving himself one hell of a headache.

"A tome I found on his Reflector and Illusion magic. The moment we were washed up and I took it out, he all but bit my hand off to get to it. His need for knowledge is quite intense.", Rufus chuckled.

"Please stop imagining scenes from that book in your mind, you'll scar me for life.", Cobra replied, completely ignoring the masked mage's answer due to the raunchy images the man was making in his mind. Cobra was completely convinced that Rufus was either trying to kill him or get him back for attacking him. Either way, it was wholly disturbing and he wanted it to stop.

"Looks like we'll be looking into a way to mentally block Rufus' thoughts as well as Sting's.", Rogue muttered under his breath. The Shadow Slayer couldn't even imagine the things that the poor kid was forced to witness due to his ability to see and hear what people were thinking. While he knew first hand that Cobra's magic was not to be taken lightly, he sure as hell didn't want to hear what was going on in some people's minds.

Although, if he could hear what was going on in the one person he admired most's head, he wouldn't object to it.

A knock on the front door broke everyone out of their thoughts.

"I second that, but first, let's eat so we can get to bed. Don't forget, I need to talk to you, Sting, and Rufus once the boy's are in bed.", Lucy nodded before heading towards the door to pay for their deliciously unhealthy dinner.

* * *

After the consumption of way too much unhealthy food and having to physically tackle Midnight to steal his damn book, both boy's were finally out cold and exploring the realm of dreams. After checking on them one last time, she made her way back downstairs and took her seat on the couch, silently observing the four men on the couch. After another hour or so of being passed out, Orga had finally decided to join them in the world of the living. Froche and Lector had taken their seats on heir respective partner's laps.

"So, what did you wish to speak to us about, Lucy?", Rogue inquired with a small smile. He silently hoped that she wasn't feeling guilty about what had happened earlier that day. Especially since all of them had told her numerous times that they weren't upset.

It had actually gotten to the point where they'd had to explain what had happened to a very confused Orga.

"I was actually going to ask you and Sting if you would be willing to join myself, Midnight, and Cobra on a mission. Since joining the guild, they haven't taken a job. I know that they are more than ready but I don't know what to expect once they're out on the field. Also, I don't know how they'd react if I were to somehow get injured, I mean, you saw what happened today after a silly joke. I don't quite understand Dragon Slayer instincts and you both do.", Lucy explained.

"And your concerns about Midnight are?", Rufus asked from his chair.

"I know that he is very capable, but I think spending almost all of his time with three Dragon Slayers has started to rub off on him, if his bottomless pit of a stomach is any indication. Couple that with the fact that he snapped seconds after Cobra. If those two were to totally lose control, I don't think I would be able to stop them. They're only eight but I have a feeling that they're a lot stronger than we realize.", she admitted with a sigh.

"I'm getting the feeling that there is something you aren't telling us about your kids, Blondie. All we really know if that your former team and most of the guild as this weird grudge against them and that they're a lot more powerful than your average kids. What're you keeping from us?", Sting asked with a raised eyebrow. All of them had refrained from asking her in the past out of respect, but it was getting to the point where she needed to tell them exactly what was going on.

"You really want to know?", Lucy sighed.

"We wouldn't ask if we didn't want to know. We've all been curious for quite some time, especially after the reaction the guild had when they came home with you.", Orga nodded.

"Fine. But promise me that none of you are going to freak shit when I tell you what I know, which admittedly isn't a whole lot. There's still a lot that I don't know or understand.", the blonde insisted firmly.

"Of course, we trust your judgement.", Rogue agreed.

When the other three men nodded in agreement, she continued.

"Have any of you ever heard of the Oracion Seis?", she asked quietly, when they nodded, she continued. "Those boys up there are former members. Last time we met, they tried to sacrifice me to the Infinity Clock. After Fairy Tail defeated them, we never saw them again. I had assumed that they had been charged and thrown in prison. And then a month ago, I was on a solo mission and came upon them while Midnight was having a nightmare in the woods. After talking with Cobra for a little while and calming Midnight down from his nightmare, I discovered that neither of them had any memories of their pasts. Along with obviously being turned into eight year old boys."

"So, what you're telling us is that those two are technically criminals turned chibis?", Sting asked with wide eyes. Had had definitely not been the explanation that he or the others had been expected.

"Pretty much.", she nodded.

"And they have no knowledge of any of this?", Rogue asked next.

"No, I have no idea how I'd even begin to tell them. You've seen how protective of me they are. How do you think they'd react if they found out that they'd tried to kill me before and that they bare the mark of a guild that they'd tried to destroy more than once?", she asked softly.

"Not very well, I'd imagine.", Rufus sighed.

"Exactly, that's why I haven't told them anything. It kills me inside that I'm basically lying to them but I don't want to crush them by telling them about their pasts. They're so happy now and I don't want to destroy that.", she said sadly, her chocolate colored eyes shimmering with barley withheld tears. The thought of making either of the boys she had so much love for any kind of pain. But deep down she knew that if she didn't tell them the truth soon, it would only hurt them more in the future.

And if someone at the guild were to let it slip and tell them the truth, it would be an even harder pill for them to swallow. Their trust in her could all but be destroyed. The very thought of her children being angry at her, or worse, hating her, broke her heart. They'd only been with her for a month or so and she already couldn't imagine her life without them.

"While there are many questions that I'm sure we all have for you, we will refrain from asking them. Seeing as you don't seem to know anymore than you have already told us. But know this, each and every one of us cares for those two as well. We will not allow any harm to come to them, even if they somehow manage to regain their memories at some point. As for the mission? Sting and I would be more than happy to come with. I'm sure Orga and Rufus wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Fro and Lector.", Rogue smirked.

It was true, over the short amount of time that he and the others had spent with Lucy and her children, they had formed a bond with them. And after learning about who they truly were, or used to be, their opinion of them hadn't changed a bit. How could anyone truly blame a person for their past if they couldn't even remember the sins that they had committed? The former members of Sabertooth weren't without sin themselves and it would be in poor taste for any of them to judge another based on their pasts.

Hell, during the Grand Magic Games, they had all sat back and watched as the woman in front of them had been tortured without mercy by one of their own. None of them had bothered to step in and stop Minerva's cruel treatment. As much as he wished that he had, he couldn't take back his reluctance to step in and stop it. Not once since they had joined Fairy Tail had Lucy even brought up the torture she had endured by one of their former guild mates. She didn't hold anything against them.

She had shown them nothing but kindness since they had met at the guild. Rogue knew just as well as the other Tiger's that they wished that they had gotten to know her long before the Grand Magic Games. Had they taken the time to truly get to know her, none of the shit she had been through ever would have happened. But things were different now. She had brought them all into her home. She trusted each and every one of them with her children.

She had become someone truly precious to all of them.

And they would be damned if they allowed her to ever feel alone again or allow any sort of harm to come to the children she took in as her own.

"Thank you, Rogue. Actually, no. Thank you all. Over the course of the last month or so, you guys have been the people who have kept myself and my boys going. I don't know what I'd do without you guys. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.", she whispered, her tears flowing steadily down her cheeks.

Without a word, each of the men and both of the Exceeds stood from their seats and silently made their way over to the crying woman. All of them silently wrapped their arms around her in a reassuring hug that easily told her that they weren't going anywhere. Froche and Lector crawled into her lap and curled into her stomach, their tiny arms embracing her as best they could.

Lucy was shocked at the embrace. She had never once thought that any of these men would show her any sort of physical affection, but she had been damn wrong. Not knowing what else to do, she wrapped her arms around the middle of the male standing in front of her and buried her face in his shirt, and allowed her tears to flow freely.

Rogue smiled softly as he felt Lucy's arms wrap around him in a tight embrace. Never before in his life had he met a woman who was so strong. She had been through so much, faced against enemies that would terrifying almost anyone and still pushed onward into tomorrow. This woman was truly something to behold.

And he would do anything to make her his.

* * *

After spending a good ten minutes in almost completely silence, the only noise being the sounds of Lucy's sobs, the group broke apart. The young woman gave all of them a small smile and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before clearing her throat.

"Thanks, guys. I think I really needed that.", she admitted with a small laugh.

"Think nothing of it, Lucy. You have helped us more than you could ever imagine. It is the least we can do.", Rufus assured with a smirk.

"He's right you know. If it hadn't been for you, we probably would have ended up on the streets. You're the real reason we joined Fairy Tail after our guild was disbanded.", Sting mentioned offhandedly.

"I am?", she asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, but that is a story for another day. I think it would be best if we called it a night. We have a public apology coming our way tomorrow and a mission to prepare for. We'll get these two settled out here, you go get some rest.", Rogue nodded.

"If you insist. Good night, guys.", Lucy nodded before carefully extracting the Exceeds from her stomach. She handed them to their respective partners and made her way upstairs to get ready for bed.

Once she was out of earshot, Sting turned to his dark haired partner. "So, when are you going to tell her how you feel?"

"Yes, Rogue When a _re_ you going to tell that girl about your feelings for her?", Rufus repeated with a smirk.

Orga just grunted and watched the scene unfold silently.

"I will tell her when the time is right. I don't even know if she returns my feelings and I'm not about to dump mine on her right now. She has enough going on right now and I don't wish to stress her out further.", the Shadow Slayer grumbled.

"If you say so, man. But I'd tell her soon. You never know, one of us might swoop in and try to steal your woman.", Sting teased with a grin.

"You'll die.", came the serious reply.

"Let's just go to bed and get tomorrow over with, hmm?", Rufus suggested quickly. There had been enough excitement for one day and he was more than ready to get some sleep.

"This isn't over, Rogue."

"Sting, I will seriously destroy you."

"Bring it, lover boy."

"Ladies, you're both pretty, that's enough."

"Fuck you, Rufus!"

Orga silently wondered how Lucy was able to put up with all of them on a daily basis. He would have gone insane after the first three hours.

* * *

As Lucy and her newly formed family stood in front of the doors that led straight into the lion's belly, she felt a small chill go down her spine. Since adopting both Midnight and Cobra, she hadn't spent much time within the guild. She had been trying to avoid conflict like the plague and the fact that she was about to face everybody was wholly terrifying. She was worried about what could be said to her children and wondered if someone would bring their pasts up once they passed through the doors.

She felt a comforting hand land on her shoulder and looked up to find Rogue standing firmly by her side offering her silent support. She looked behind her and saw that Sting was standing between her kids with a hand on each of their shoulders. She smiled when she saw Rufus and Orga standing right behind them with the Exceeds floating mere feet above their heads. Determined faces were worn on each of their faces and she forced herself to steel her nerves.

If her kids could throw on brave faces, so could she.

To any passerby, it probably looked like Lucy and her family were about to engage a mortal foe into a battle to the death. She clenched her fists at her sides and took a deep, calming breath.

"You guys ready for this?", she asked lowly.

"Ready as I'll ever be.", Cobra nodded grimly.

"Make it a grand entrance, mom. Might as well let them know that we don't fear them or their misplaced dislike for us.", Midnight smirked.

To say the least, the Tiger's and their Exceeds couldn't have been more proud of Midnight and Cobra.

"Kicking the door in or nah?", Lucy smirked.

"Why don't all three of you make a grand entrance, we'll be right behind you.", Rogue suggested with a smirk.

"Sounds the a beautiful idea.", Lucy agreed,"Come here boys. Let's show them your progress."

Both boys stepped away from Sting and flanked her sides once Rogue moved away from their mother.

"On three."

"Aye.", both boys nodded.

"One."

Cobra took a offensive stance by spreading his legs wide and summoning as much poison as he could muster into his hands. He quickly made sure that the poison would not be lethal to anybody it touched, no matter how much any of the people inside deserved it for treating him and his brother like outcasts and basically shunning his mother.

Midnight, on the other hand, stood completely straight with a single hand outstretched in front of him. A glowing ball of green and black magical energy swirled to life in his hands. They had discovered early on that he had also retained the magic that Brain had used.

"Two."

Both boys prepared their attacks and waited for their mother's final count. They watched as she slid into position, completely ready to land a powerful kick to the thick, wooden doors.

"THREE!"

"POISON DRAGON'S TOXIC WAVE!"

"LUCY KICK!"

"DARK RONDO!"

With an intense explosion, the doors of the Fairy Tail guildhall shattered under the immense amount of power behind the three attacks. As the smoke cleared from the wreckage, Lucy and her children, flanked by the Tiger's stepped into view.

"We've come for that public apology, Natsu, Erza, Gray, and Happy.", Lucy smirked. Her smirk widened when she was met by wide eyed gazes from the occupants of the guild hall.

Nobody moved as Lucy and her newly formed family walked slowly through the partially destroyed guild hall. The all stopped in the middle of the guild hall and waited for someone to speak up. At this point, she didn't care if they apologized or not. After spending some time alone with the people that had truly proven to be her real family, she had realized that if they couldn't accept her children for who they were now, she would take them and leave.

And the Tiger's had agreed that they would leave as well. They were loyal to her now and as long as she had the people that held her just as lose as she held them, then she could live without anyone else. The memory of her talking to the Tiger's about her plan offhandedly floated through her mind as she stood firmly in the middle of the guildhall.

* * *

 _"There's one more thing I want you guys to know.", she whispered as they backed away from her._

 _"What is it?", Rogue asked with a quirked eyebrow._

 _"Depending on how tomorrow goes, I will be taking my children and leaving the guild...for good.", she replied quietly._

 _"You would leave your guild? I thought they were your family.", Sting pointed out, just as confused as his partner._

 _"I thought they were too. But after my team's disbandment, nobody has really paid much attention to my existence, if at all really. And then with their attitudes about Cobra and Midnight, it isn't fair to ask them to stay in a guild where the members basically hate them for merely being alive.", Lucy explained sadly._

 _"Whatever you decide to do, we will stand by you. If you decide to take your children and leave Fairy Tail, so will we.", Rogue stated firmly._

 _"I couldn't ask any of you to do that! You guys finally have a guild again! I couldn't ask you to leave it just for me and the boys!", she protested._

 _"Lucy, the entire reason we joined Fairy Tail was to be near you, nothing more. If you and the boys were to leave, there would be nothing left to keep us there.", Rufus pointed out._

 _"He's right. If you go, so do we.", Orga nodded._

 _"That's right, Blondie. You're our family, we'd never let you leave without us!", Lector cheered._

 _"Fro thinks so too!"_

 _"Thanks guys, I really don't know what I would do without you.", Lucy whispered._

* * *

After a few minutes of waiting, no doubt the members of the guild were trying to get their bearings together and grabbing their jaws from where they hung at their knees, someone finally spoke up.

Of course, the speaker just so happened to be the man of the hour.

Natsu _fucking_ Dragneel.

"Oh, I got something to say to you guys alright."

* * *

 **Alright! That's a wrap for this chapter!**

 **Again, this story is unbetaed so excuse any mistakes that I missed!**

 **Okay, the next chapter's course is completely up to the reader!**

 **Do they apologize and start to slowly integrate Cobra, Lucy, Midnight, and the others into the guild?**

 **Or do they refuse and cause Lucy and the others to leave the guild to start anew? - if this si your choice, the Fairy Tail guild will still be involved in the story, don't worry. They'll still come to their senses! Maybe...**

 **Leave a review with whichever you wish to happen!**

 **If it becomes a tie of some sort for the the readers want, I will consider writing an 'alternate timeline' of sorts for this story with the other option! So let me know what you want more. :)**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow! Especially since I can't really start on the next chapter until I know what the readers want!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**And we are back, baby! A little bit shorter than normal, but an update is an update, yeah? Thank you all for such wonderful reviews on the last chapter, you make this kinda old lady's heart melt with your kind words!**

 **Seeing as it is Thanksgiving, I suppose I should go a head and say that I AM THANKFUL FOR EVERYONE WHO TAKES TIME OUT OF THEIR DAYS TO READ MY STORIES! You guys make it worth that effort I put into pumping these chapters out. (insert raining roses backdrop while I cry disturbing anime style tears.)**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story!**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow! Updates always come quicker when positive feedback is given. 3**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper**

* * *

Previously;

 _After a few minutes of waiting, no doubt the members of the guild were trying to get their bearings together and grabbing their jaws from where they hung at their knees, someone finally spoke up._

 _Of course, the speaker just so happened to be the man of the hour._

 _Natsu_ fucking _Dragneel._

 _"Oh, I got something to say to you guys alright."_

* * *

Lucy and her family stared at the Fire Dragon Slayer with curious gazes. The stood quietly and waited for him to tell them exactly what he wanted to say. Lucy had a sinking feeling that he was either going to start a riot of some sort or would apologize to her children but not really mean it. Either way, she knew not to expect much of anything from her former partner anymore. No matter what happened, she knew that she would have people that would still stand by her side. If he decided to truly end their friendship for good right here, then so be it. She didn't need such negativity in her or her children's lives.

"If you have something to say, then by all means, so continue.", Rufus spoke up. He had tired of the strained silence that had fallen over the guildhall. Who knew that something as simple as apologizing could become something that should have only belonged to a soap opera. Speaking of soap operas, he silently wondered if he had remembered to record last nights episode of Love Once Lost. Anton was supposed to find out if Brad was really his long lost brother and the suspense had been killing him for the last week!

If anyone ever found out about the Memory Make Mage's secret love for cheesy soap operas, someone was going to die.

Painfully.

"You really wanna know what I've gotta say?", Natsu asked quietly.

Natsu's intense gaze bore straight into Cobra as the small boy stood proudly at his mothers side. The side that Natsu should have been standing by. He fought back a distasteful growl when he saw Rogue place a firm hand on the boys shoulder. A growl really did slip past his lips when he saw Sting repeat the action on Midnight's shoulder. He didn't know what the Twin Dragon's deal was when it came to Lucy and those kids, but he didn't like it one bit.

"That's the only reason we're here right now. Say what you're going to say Natsu, we have things to do today.", Lucy grunted with a roll of her eyes. Seriously, could this guy get anymore dramatic? All he had to do was tell them what he wanted to say so they could all get on with their lives.

"Well, since Natsu is deciding to take his sweet fucking time, I'll start us off. I would like to extend my deepest apologies to you and your children, Lucy. We've been friends for years and the fact that I let our team's disbandment effect our friendship makes me feel like a total asshole. The fact that I automatically questioned my trust in you when you brought Midnight and Cobra here is even worse. I treated not only them, but you as well, like utter shit. I am truly sorry and hope you can forgive me.", Gray piped up from beside Erza, he bowed his head low as he finished his short speech and waited for the blonde to respond.

"Who the hell are you and what have you done to Gray? Aside from the scattered curse words, I think that's the most elegant speech I've ever heard from you. And as long as you are willing to give my kids a chance, I forgive you. But it isn't my forgiveness that you need, it's theirs.", Lucy responded firmly. She was touched by his sincere words, but that didn't change the past. She was able to forgive him, yes, but her children's opinions mattered more right now.

"I don't hear any deception in his soul and I can't smell anything off about him, I guess I can forgive him.", Cobra shrugged.

"If my brother can let bygones be bygones, so can I.", Midnight agreed.

 _'Are these even the same people that we faced so long ago, they're so different from what I remember...'_ Gray thought with a small frown. The dark haired male lifted an eyebrow in confusion when he saw Cobra's gaze instantly turn to him with a wide eyed, confused expression. It seemed that they still didn't remember anything and that Lucy hadn't explained everything to them yet. He'd have to keep his past thoughts about them to next to nothing until they had been filled in. He turned away from the boy and completely missed that knowing look that flashed across the young boy's face.

"I would also like to apologize Lucy. The way we have acted towards you and these children is despicable. I truly hope that you will actually consider punching me for the way I have treated you. You are the closest thing I have to a sister and it pains me that I have treated you and you children like nothing more than garbage over the course of the last few month. I truly hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me, along with Cobra and Midnight.", Ezra spoke up next with watery eyes.

The red headed warrior had been such a fool. She had allowed her mind to become distracted by other things and had forgotten that her family was most important. After the disbandment of their team, she had felt like a part of her had been torn away from her very soul. She really did miss going out on missions with Lucy and having their weekly girl nights. She had not placed her trust in Lucy's judgement when she had bought Cobra and Midnight back to the guild and she truly did regret her mistake. If she could somehow manage to gain the blonde's forgiveness, along with her children's, she would never question her choices again.

"I'm still not going to punch you Erza, I'm pretty sure I'd shatter my hand against that armor of yours. You are like a sister to me as well and by completely ignoring me hurt more than you could ever imagine. I miss the fun you and I used to have. Hell, I miss getting scolded by you and yelling at you for riffling through my underwear drawer! You have my forgiveness, but just like Gray, it's Midnight and Cobra's forgiveness that you need more than mine.", Lucy replied quietly.

"Thank you, Lucy. Midnight, Cobra, is there anyway that you could find it in your hearts to forgive me for being so wretched?", Erza asked quietly, a single tear steadily flowing down her cheek. She really had been such a fool.

"I forgive you, Erza.", Midnight nodded firmly. This was actually going a lot smoother than any of them had ever imagined. Although...they still had Natsu to worry about. That would truly be the turning point of the entire situation. He turned towards his brother and frowned when he saw the small, knowing smirk curling onto his brother's face. What was going on with Cobra? He'd never seen that look on his brother's face before now and he didn't know whether to be worried or not.

"I forgive you, you hammer wielding wench.", Cobra smirked.

If guild hadn't been silent before, it definitely was now. Time seemed to stop the moment the words left Cobra's mouth. Beer mugs that had been half way to guild member's mouths had stopped completely, their beer sloshing around was the only sound heard. Mira had stopped cleaning the mug in her hand and the rag dropped from her hand with a wet plop on the floor. The music blaring in Laxus' sound pods instantly ceased. Nobody even dared to breathe.

"C-cobra, what did you just say?", Lucy whispered.

"You heard what I said. Looks like my memories are back.", Cobra smirked as he turned his attention towards the blonde woman who had been caring for him during his memory-less state.

"How...how is that possible?", the blonde asked quietly. Her mind was running a mile a minute. This was the last thing that she had ever expected to happen. She had no idea what had triggered Cobra to regain his memories and she had no idea what to expect next from the male.

"No idea. But I suppose I should thank you for taking care of Midnight and I.", the maroon haired boy shrugged.

In truth, he had no idea what had caused him to regain his memories. He could tell by the jumbled thoughts going through Midnight's mind that he had not gained his memories back yet. He internally frowned at the predicament that he had found himself in. He remembered everything from the past month and the kindness that Lucy had shown himself and his partner and he would forever be grateful for it. He had grown rather attached to the woman over the course of the past few weeks and he couldn't find it within himself to want to leave her side. As long as she would allow him to stay, he would.

"So you remember everything, eh, you bastard?", Natsu growled.

"Every last bit of my memory has returned, Fire Crotch.", Cobra sneered. Before he even knew what he was doing, he was standing in front of the woman he had referred to as his mother in a defensive position. His instincts demanded that he protect this woman as if she truly was his mother. She was the closest thing he had to one and he'd be damned if he allowed anyone to take that feeling of acceptance away from him or Midnight.

"You wanna go, you snake freak?!", Natsu roared angrily. The pink haired man's eyes widened when he saw not only Midnight step in front of Cobra's form, but Gray and Erza had moved to stand in front of his as well.

"We will not allow you to touch him. While his memories have returned, that does not stop him from being one of Lucy's children. They have granted s their forgiveness and we will not tarnish the trust they have given us. Stand down, Natsu.", Erza growled.

To say Cobra was stunned would be a complete understatement.

"I have quite a few questions for these two and I won't let you mess that up. Lucy trusts them enough to house them, raise them, and face the entire guild for them. I won't let you fuck up the family she has built for herself. Especially now that she's allowed us back into her life, you flaming moron.", Gray grunted. If anyone had told him that one day he'd be standing up for Cobra of the Oracion Seis, he probably would have asked them what kinda shit they were smoking and where he could get some. But it seemed that fate had a funny way of changing people's lives.

"Touch my brother and I'll introduce you to what a true nightmare is.", Midnight snapped.

Cobra was speechless. Not only was Midnight still standing up for him even though he was completely confused as to what Cobra was talking about, he was still willing to face any foe to protect him. A true brother, no matter what. He and Midnight had been close back in their days in the Seis, but they hadn't anything like the bond they now shared. Maybe losing his memories and being changed into an eight year old boy had done more good than harm. Having both of his eyes back was a plus as well, if he did say so himself.

But what stunned him more than anything was the fact that Erza and Gray were ready to defend him against Natsu as well. Not that was something he had never expected in his entire life. He had heard Gray's thoughts about what he would have said if anyone had ever suggested a situation like this happening and he couldn't help but agree. This situation was so unreal that if it hadn't been obvious that it was real, he would have sworn that he was dreaming.

"So what, you're just going to defend that bastard now? Have you forgotten what he's done to us?! To our guild?! To Lucy?!", Natsu shouted.

"We all remember those things, Natsu. We remember them quite well. But unlike you, we are able to forgive their transgressions and move on. If you need more of an example, look at the men standing behind me. Sabertooth allowed one of their members to torture me without mercy and did nothing to stop it. They've apologized and expressed their regret and I've forgiven them for it. They have shown me nothing but kindness since coming to the guild. Not only that, but they accepted Midnight and Cobra without question, even after learning about their pasts.", Lucy explained with a sad shake of her head. He just didn't get it, did he.

"So, what?! You're just going to forgive them for everything they've done to us?!", the pink haired Slayer snapped angrily.

"Yes, I am. Gajeel and Juvia were granted forgiveness. Gajeel destroyed out guildhall. He tortured me to the point where I was near death. Juvia kidnapped me while I was walking down the street and almost drown me in her Water Lock. Laxus tried to fucking take over the guild with Freed, Bix, and Evergreen! Evergreen turned most of the female members to stone! Freed tortured Cana and Elfman with his runes! Shit, Bix attempted to steal my soul! But they were forgiven and allowed to stay, so what the hell makes Cobra and Midnight so different!", Lucy roared. She would make him see reason, even if she had to beat it into his thick skull.

Laxus and his team flinched when Lucy mentioned their past mistakes but understood exactly why she was bringing them up. They had made a horrible mistake all those years ago and not a day went by where they didn't think about how badly they'd screwed up. Laxus had been exiled from the guild and had been granted a second chance after his actions during the S Class exams. Freed had cut off his beautiful hair in an old school style of apology to the guild.

Granted Lucy had later enlisted Cancer's help in restoring his hair to its former glory. Seeing the stoic Rune mage with short hair was wholly disturbing to look at.

Evergreen had literally gotten on her knees and sobbed out apologies to everyone she had harmed during their betrayal to the guild.

Gejeel had defended Levy, the woman he had brutalized, when Laxus had aimed a deadly attack towards her. He had allowed the Lightening Slayer to beat him half to death without defending himself in a mangled form of repentance.

Juvia had sincerely apologized to Lucy for kidnapping her and for her part in Lucy's almost return trip back to her father.

If Fairy Tail could find it in their hearts to forgive their past mistakes, why couldn't they forgive Midnight and Cobra?

"She's right, Natsu. Everyone was able to forgive us for the shit we did and accepted us back into the guild. Since coming into Blondie's care, neither of them have shown any hostility towards the guild. Hell, Cobra's fucking protecting her from you right now and so is Midnight. If they were going to fucking hurt Blondie or anyone in the guild, don't you think they would have done it by now? I know you're fucking stupid, but goddamn man. You're taking your idiocy to a whole new level right now.", Laxus spoke up from the second floor.

The Thunder Legion stood proudly behind him with smirks on their faces, completely agreeing with their Leader. Lucy and the rest of the guild had found themselves able to forgive them and they would extend the same to the two boys that Lucy had taken in as her own.

"Bunny has a point, Flame Brain. The things I did to her, Levy, and her team were disgusting, even to me. It fucks with me everyday when I think back to my days in Phantom. The moment Bunny saw me in the guild after Master convinced me to join, she came straight to me and fucking forgave me without a second thought. After my run in with Sparky in the park, I worked my ass off to build the relationship I have with Levy and her team. If none of us have issues with them being here, then neither should you. If you choose to have a fucking problem, keep your trap shut. Nobody wants to hear it.", Gajeel barked from his corner in the back of the guild.

The Iron Slayer had never been able to fully forgive himself for the atrocities that he had committed against the guild he now called home. He knew that those times were a dark time in his life and he regretted every moment of it. If he could go back and change how things had turned out, he would have done so in a heartbeat. Phantom Lord being destroyed and Fairy Tail taking him in had thought him something that he had never thought that he would truly believe.

And that was that every life, every beating heart, was worth something. Everybody had the right to live.

And everyone deserved a second chance, no matter the circumstance.

"Juvia also agree. Juvia did horrible things to Lucy and for that, Juvia can never forgive herself. Juvia believes that everyone deserves a second chance, just as Juvia was given when she joined Fairy Tail.", Juvia spoke up firmly.

Master Makarov watched the scene unfold in silence, he couldn't be more proud of his children.

"You see, Natsu? My team and I, along with Erza and Gray, are not the only one's who feel this way. You do not trust Lucy's judgement and for that you are a complete fool. Now, will you accept them as part of the guild or will you continue to act like a child who has lost his favorite toy?", Rogue asked from his spot beside Lucy.

"They'll never be apart of this guild!", Natsu snapped.

"That's where you're wrong, Pinky.", Cobra retorted snidely.

"And just how the fuck am I wrong?!", the pink haired Slayer seethed.

Without thinking twice about it, Cobra turned his back to the older Slayer and listed his shirt over his head.

"This mark on my back already proves that I'm a member of this guild, whether you like it or not.", the Poison Slayer replied calmly.

Following his brother's lead, Midnight turned around and followed Cobra's example. He lifted his shirt over his head and displayed his own Fairy Tail crest between his shoulder blades.

"As you can see, we were already given our stamps and are indeed members of this guild. I think I speak for both my brother I and when I say that your misplaced hatred of us means nothing. As far as we are concerned, you are the only one with an issue with us being here. We will not allow a single person's opinion of us sway us into leaving this guild. You will just have to suck it up and deal with it.", Midnight said in a bored tone.

Natsu took a threatening step forward towards the boys but stopped when he heard the Master's voice ring out through the guild.

"That is enough, Natsu! You will not cause harm to fellow guild mates!", Makarov shouted from the second floor railing. He knew that Lucy bringing her boy's to the guild was going to cause some kind of drama, but he hadn't expected anything like this. He hadn't expected the majority of the guilds members, if not all of the save for Natsu, to accept them. He could tell that Cobra and Midnight were not any threat to his children, especially with the former regaining his memories and making no move to attack any members of the guild.

Except for Natsu, but he had made himself seem like a threat to the person that was held closest to Midnight and Cobra's heart.

"But, Gramps!"

"No buts, Natsu. If you can't accept that these two are members of this guild, then that is your problem. You will have to get over these idiotic issues you have with them. In the month or so that they have been members of this guild, no harm has come to any of our members. They have no caused Lucy any trouble, nor have they caused trouble for any of the other members. You will come with me to my office, I have a solo job that you will be taking. Maybe getting away from the guild for a little while will help you clear your head.", Makarov ordered sternly before beckoning for the younger man to follow him into his office.

The guild watched in stunned silence as Natsu slowly climbed up the stairs to the second floor and slammed the Master's office door shut behind him. Once the pink haired male was gone, everyone's attention returned to the nine people and two Exceeds that stood in the middle of the guild hall.

"Well, that was a lot more interesting than I had expected.", Lucy sighed, breaking the silence that seemed to have fallen over the guild.

"Yeah, no kidding.", Cobra muttered before returning his shirt to its rightful place.

"What do you plan on doing now, Lucy?", Erza asked curiously.

"Oh, that's easy. The Twins and I are going to take Midnight and Cobra on their first offical job as Fairy Tail wizards.", the blonde smirked in response.

"Can we come?", Gray asked with interest. He hadn't had much experience with Cobra or Midnight and he would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about their magic and fighting styles.

"Maybe next time, Gray. It's already going to be a large group with the five of us.", Lucy suggested with a small smile. It was nice to see that Erza and Gray were already taking an interest in interacting with her kids. Maybe things weren't going to be so bad after all.

"I'm holding you to that. Keep her safe Cobra, Midnight.", Gray agreed, nodding at both boys as he addressed them.

"Don't have to tell us twice. As far as either of us is concerned, she's out mother. What kinda kids don't protect their mother? Shitty one's that's who.", Cobra shrugged.

"Language, young man!", Lucy scolded on instinct.

"Woman, I'm technically the same age as you!"

"You're in the body of an eight year old boy.", Lucy pointed out with a smirk.

"Stop being right.", Cobra grunted with a pout.

"While I may still be completely confused as to what's going on, we will always keep her safe, Gray.", Midnight sighed. He really wanted some answers and he wanted thm now, dammit!

"I'll explain everything to you once we get back to the house, Midnight. Calm yourself.", Cobra smirked towards his brother.

"I'm holding you to that.", the younger boy nodded.

"Well, now that that's settled, why don't we find a job and blow this joint?", Sting suggested. The things he had witnessed within the last half hour had truly changed his view on Fairy Tail. During his time in Sabertooth, he had thought they were nothing but spineless wimps. But now, after seeing the shit that had just gone down, he could tell that they were some of the strongest people that he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. At the point, he couldn't have been more proud to wear their emblem on his bicep.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Sting.", Lucy agreed before turning to her boys. "Why don't you two go with Rogue and Sting and see what you can find. I want to have a quick word with Erza and Gray.

Both boys nodded and followed the older males over to the request board, none of them even bothering to pay any attention to Nab as he perused the board as he normally did.

Rufus and Orga decided to take their leave and nodded at Lucy before heading over to the bar for a drink. After the mayhem that had just ensued minutes ago, nobody blamed them for needing a cold beer to soothe their nerves. Froche and Lector followed behind the pair lazily.

Once they were out of earshot, Lucy turned back towards her former team mates.

"I wanted to thank you guys for understanding and apologize for being such a bitch to you guys yesterday.", Lucy explained with a sheepish smile.

"You were well within your rights to refuse our request to come into your home. We had not spoken with you in almost six months. It was foolish of us to think that you would be perfectly okay with us at that point. I do hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive us, Lucy.", Erza replied with a small smile.

"She's right, Lucy. We were out of line and were complete assholes to you for a long time. You have nothing to be sorry for.", Gray agreed easily with a small shrug.

"I really couldn't ask for better friends, you know that?", Lucy smirked at the pair.

"Trust me, Lucy. You could really do a lot better than us, we're just happy that we're back in your lives.", Gray smirked in return.

Their conversation was cut short when the rest of the group rejoined them in the middle of the guild hall. Midnight was waving a job flyer excitedly in his hand and Lucy couldn't help but let out a small giggle at his excitement. So much had happened within the last hour and the boy was still able to find it within himself to smile. SHe had truly been blessed when she had found these boys.

"You guys ready to go?", Lucy asked as the four males stopped next to her.

"Whenever you are.", Rogue nodded with a small smile.

"Well, I suppose we should go get packed for our job if we want to head out tomorrow. I'll see you guys when we get back?", Lucy nodded before turning back to her former teammates.

"You better believe it. We'll see you when you get back.", Gray nodded.

"We are counting on you to keep Lucy and her children safe.", Erza said sternly to the Twin Slayers.

"We wouldn't dream of allowing any harm to come to anyone we work with.", Rogue replied smoothly.

"Anyone even tries to touch them, they'll regret it.", Sting replied with a smug smirk.

Erza and Gray both nodded in acceptance and watched as the six mages made their way out of the guild and back towards Lucy's home. The moment they left the building, Gray turned to Erza.

"So, how much you wanna bet that Rogue is going to confess to Lucy while they're all out on that job.", he smirked.

"Even I know that he is probably going to make his move. It seems that both Midnight and Cobra approve of him. After seeing how protective they are of her, I don't think we have anything to worry about.", Erza replied easily.

"We should probably keep our observations to ourselves for now, I really don't want to listen to Mira swoon about blonde haired, red eyes babies.", Gray shuddered in response.

"Agreed.", came Erza's reply. A shudder of her own laced through her body.

Little did they know...Mira had already heard and was already plotting the romance between her newest ship.

* * *

 **And there's chapter five for you! As I stated, it's a bit shorter than normal, but an update is an update!**

 **This story is un-betaed so I'm sorry for any mistakes I may have missed!**

 **All sorts of shit went down this chapter!**

 **Erza, Gray, and the other's apologized! The people have spoken!**

 **Natsu's dense ass still doesn't understand. He can be so dumb sometimes, no?**

 **Cobra regained his memories, awwwwwwwww shit.**

 **Midnight and Cobra are proud to be in Fairy Tail, how sweet!**

 **Someone get Happy because I think Rogue liiiiiiiiiiiiiiikes Lucy.**

 **Mira's plotting, run while there's still time. Avoid broom closets or any room that has a door and a lock on it or you may be screwed.**

 **Anyway...**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **As always! If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow! I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter!**

 **HAPPY THANKSGIVING!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**First off, I would just like to apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter out! Had a bunch of family stuff to take care of and didn't have much time to write. Throw that on top of a sick kiddo and you end up with little to no free time. If you're a parent, you'll totally understand what I mean. Still cleaning the smell of Vapor Rub out of my skin, God I hate the smell of Vicks. Just...ew. Again, so sorry that it took a little longer than normal to update! There is a small note at the bottom regarding when the next update should be at the end of this chapter, so make sure to take a look!**

 **Prepare yourself for some feelsy conversations!**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story.**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow! Positive feedback tends to make for faster updates when life decides to give you some peace!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper!**

* * *

Previously;

 _"So, how much you wanna bet that Rogue is going to confess to Lucy while they're all out on that job.", he smirked._

 _"Even I know that he is probably going to make his move. It seems that both Midnight and Cobra approve of him. After seeing how protective they are of her, I don't think we have anything to worry about.", Erza replied easily._

 _"We should probably keep our observations to ourselves for now, I really don't want to listen to Mira swoon about blonde haired, red eyes babies.", Gray shuddered in response._

 _"Agreed.", came Erza's reply. A shudder of her own laced through her body._

 _Little did they know...Mira had already heard and was already plotting the romance between her newest ship._

* * *

The walk back to the house that Lucy shared with Cobra and Midnight was done is mostly silence. The only words that had been spoken on the way were to discuss what time they all wanted the head out in the morning. They had easily agreed to leave at eight the next morning. They would board the train and head to a small down North of Magnolia called Basil. While Lucy had never personally been to the town, she had heard wonderful things about the small, mountain town. She'd heard that the view of the mountains from the town were absolutely marvelous.

The job that her kid's had picked out was a pretty easy job, not that Lucy minded in the least. She knew after being inactive for so long that she was bound to be a little rusty if fighting was going to be involved. The job request had asked for a team of capable wizards to come and clear out a small band of bandits that had been plaguing the town for the past two weeks. It had been estimated that there were about two dozen bandits that they needed to take out, but they wouldn't be surprised if there ended up being more. It was rare for any kind of criminal organization to send in their entire fleet of people for jobs. Lucy wasn't worried though, she was teaming up with some of the strongest wizards that she'd ever had the pleasure of knowing.

She would have been lying if she said that she wasn't excited to see the boys she saw as her own in action. Now that Cobra's memories had returned, she had no doubt that his fighting style would change drastically. While she'd never actually fought him in the past, she had seen his fight against Erza while she was being sucked inside the Infinity Clock. She doubted that any one in the guild was aware that while being sucked into the clock, she had been able to see everything that was going on within it.

Lucy's thoughts strayed to Midnight. While she knew that he was a very capable wizard, she was also quite worried about the quiet boy. She knew that he was more than a little confused about the events that had taken place in the guild. She didn't blame him though, she would be just as confused if she was in his shoes. She knew that once they reached the house, she and Cobra would have a lot of explaining to do. She had no idea what had triggered Cobra to regain his memories and she had no idea if something in the future would cause Midnight to regain his as well. Although, the thought of both of them regaining their memories did worry her just a little.

She wasn't scared that they would both tire of her, especially since Cobra had already expressed that he wasn't going anywhere. Cobra had flat out told the entire guild that, even though he remembered everything, that he still looked at her as a mother figure. The fact that someone who was a technically a grown man though of her as a mother probably would have been a little weird to anyone else, if she was honest. She had a feeling that now that he had all his memories back, that things would be changing within the house. While she wouldn't stop him from doing what he wanted to do, there were still things that she would have to deny Cobra.

While the guild knew that he was a man in his twenties stuck in his eight year old body, the rest of the world did not. While they were in public and out of missions, he would have to act like your average eight year old.

Even if there was literally nothing average about Cobra or Midnight.

Lucy absently unlocked the door to her house and ushered the four males into her home. It was at times like this where she was seriously grateful that she didn't have very many neighbors. The ones she did have probably thought there was something wrong with her considering the only female she'd been hanging out with was Froche. Did hanging out with a female Exceed even count as having feminine bonding time? Lucy liked to think so for sanity's sake. She watched the men file into her living room and took their respective seats. Cobra and Midnight on the couch with the middle cushion open for her and Rogue and Sting in her arm chairs.

"You alright there, Lucy? You've been lost in your thoughts since we left the guild.", Rogue asked kindly from his spot. He had noticed quite quickly that she had navigated the entire way to her home on pure instinct but hadn't wanted to interrupt her train of thought in case whatever she was thinking about was important. But the fact that she'd been staring into space for the last five minutes was actually starting to worry him just a little.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking is all.", Lucy mumbled in reply, her gaze still completely glued to the spot on the wall she had been staring at.

"What what are you thinking about so hard, mother dearest? You're going to burn a damn hole in the wall if you don't stop soon.", Cobra asked with a small, teasing lilt that was completely new to him. Never before in his life had he ever been actually concerned about somebody. It was completely new to him but he couldn't find it within himself to hate the feeling. Aside from Midnight, he didn't really know what it was like to be cared about by another person, much less care about them in return.

"Just wondering if you or Midnight will ever tire of me once you both have your memories back and find that you don't need me anymore.", Lucy sighed with a frown. No sense in lying to them, she would have felt like utter shit for it later. It was better to get it all out in the open right away, rather than allow it to fester and bother her until she couldn't stand it anymore.

"We'd never leave you behind! I may not have my memories and I may not be able to recall anything that happened in the past, but I know that you're a good person! After seeing the guild's reaction to Cobra and I, I can only imagine whatever we did to you in the past wasn't pleasant! But regardless of whatever we did, you still took us into your home! You treat us like we're your children by blood! You don't look at us any differently than Sting, Rogue, or anyone else! You look at us like we're actually people!", Midnight cried, his red eye glistening with un-shed tears.

Lucy's eyes went wide at Midnight's speech. She had never expected him to feel so strongly about the bond that had easily blossomed between himself, her, and Cobra. She knew that he must have been struggling quite a bit since he was still in the dark about everything that had happened in the past. She could easily tell that his words were genuine and that he meant every last word that had passed his lips. She suddenly felt very guilty for even doubting their connection to her, even if it had only been for a moment.

"He's right, mom. You're the closest thing he and I have ever had to a family. I already told you that I have no plans of going anywhere now that my memories have returned and as long as you want us here, we'll stay. We've put you through a lot of shit and the fact that you looked past that and still took care of us speak volumes about your character as a person. We may not be your kids by blood, but you still love us just the same. Shit, we tried to kill you, _twice_. And if that little speech back at the guild was any indication, we aren't the only ones that you've forgiven for doing shit like that.", Cobra sighed.

"We...we tried to kill her more than once?", Midnight asked quietly, his face paling at the very thought of causing the woman who had treated them so kindly any sort of harm. The very thought of hurting her made him want to vomit. And the fact that he couldn't remember any of it, killed him inside.

"Yeah, bro. We did. She knew exactly who we were when she found us in that forest and instead of turning tail and grabbing some Rune Knights, she took took us in as her own. We did a lot of shitty things before we were turned into kids and had our memories wiped clean.", Cobra responded with a grunt of displeasure. This was not the way he had wanted Midnight to find out about there pasts. Especially with Sting and Rogue watching everything unfold in silence.

"Wait, turned into kids?", the younger boy asked shakily. Everything was getting way too crazy for his eight year old mind to wrap around. First they'd tried to kill her, not once, but twice, and now he was finding out that they had been turned into children along with losing their memories? He swore if Cobra told him was actually a woman at one point, he was going to scream.

"Yeah, I'm technically twenty three. You're actually twenty two.", the maroon haired boy nodded. Thoughts were rushing so quickly through the younger male's mind that Cobra wasn't able to make out a single coherent thought. He felt like a Grade A asshole for the way that Midnight was finding all of this out, but he didn't really have a choice anymore. If he stopped giving the poor kid information, he had a feeling that they'd all be dealing with more than just a minor panic attack.

"How the hell did we turn into kids? Who or what stole our memories? Why can't I _fucking_ remember anything?!", Midnight shrieked, his hands clutching the side of his head.

Before Lucy knew what she was doing, her body vaulted over the back of her couch and she all but tackled Midnight in a bone crushing hug. She rubbed soothing circles into the boy's back as the floodgates burst and he wailed with grief. She didn't know what she could say or do to make him feel better, but she had a feeling that no amount of words would be able to quell the guilt that was burning through Midnight's tiny body.

"You may have done horrible things in the past, but I forgave both you and Cobra a long time ago. When I look at both of you, I don't see two men that tried to take over the world or people who tried to hurt people close to me. No, I see two of the most important people in my life. I knew exactly who you two were when I found you and I didn't think twice about helping you. You two deserve a second chance just like everyone else. So don't feel bad, Midnight. You're a good boy and that's all you need to remember.", Lucy murmured into the boy's hair.

Lucy felt Midnight's breathing stutter against her neck at her words and allowed a soft smile to grace her features. These boys were a lot stronger than they gave themselves credit for. She jumped a little when she felt three more pairs of arms wrapping around her and the young boy. She looked up and found that Cobra had wedged himself behind his brother and was hugging him from behind, his forehead buried between Midnight's shoulder blades. She looked past her oldest and saw the Sting had stretched his arms out completely and had engulfed the three of them in a hug as well. She looked behind her and found that Rogue had done the same.

"You don't need to worry about the past anymore, Midnight. Neither do you, Cobra. Lucy has given you both a wonderful chance to turn your lives around and start over. I dare say she has one of the purest hearts in all of Fiore. You two are lucky to have such a wonderful woman to call your mother.", Rogue murmured before resting his chin on the blonde woman's shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small blush caress Lucy's cheeks and couldn't help the small smile that stretched across his lips.

"He's right, you know. Our former guild did some pretty shitty things to Lucy and Fairy Tail as well, but we were given a second chance as well. So were Orga and Rufus. When we showed up on the guilds doorstep after the Counsel disbanded our guild, Makarov didn't think twice about taking us all in. He didn't hesitate to give either of you a second chance either. The past is the past, look towards the future and chase it. Whatever you guys decide to do, we'll all be right by your side every step of the way.", Sting inputted with a smirk.

"Wow, Stingy Bee, I think that may have been the smartest thing I've ever heard come out of you mouth.", Lucy chuckled. She felt Midnight's shoulders shake and saw that he had broken into a small fit of giggles at her observation. It seemed that a serious crisis had been averted for the moment. She could only imagine what was going to happen when Midnight finally managed to regain his memories. She had a feeling that the sensitive boy would no doubt break down twice as hard when he remembered everything. It would have been nice if she could figure out just what had triggered Cobra to regain his own memories. Maybe then she'd have some kind of an idea of what to look for in the future.

"Are you calling me an idiot?!", Sting cried with mock offense.

"I'm pretty sure we are all well aware of your ineptitude.", Rogue smirked.

"Shut up before I start telling horribly embarrassing stories from your childhood!", the blonde Slayer threatened with a smirk of his own.

"Go ahead, I have plenty of dirt on you. A lot more than you have on me, for that matter.", Rogue shrugged, his chin still resting on the blonde woman's shoulder.

"As much as I'd love to hear about to weird shit you two did as kids, I have a question first.", Cobra grunted.

"What's your question, Cobra?", Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow.

Cobra could hear the jumbled thoughts coming from Rogue and was a little confused. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that the elder Slayer had the hots for his mother. He didn't have an issue with his mother figure finding a man and dating, but he'd be damned if the man she chose to date ever hurt her.

God have mercy on the poor man who decided to break hid and Midnight's mother's heart. Cobra had a feeling that his younger brother would go on an even worse rampage than himself. If that was even possible.

"Why the hell is Rogue draped over you like you're his woman?", Cobra muttered with narrowed eyes.

The blush on Lucy's cheeks blazed against her skin.

Rogue's cheeks even gained a little color.

Midnight cringed at the thought of his mother doing anything mildly sexy with anyone. He was eight, not daft, he knew what relationships entailed!

If Sting's smirk could get any wider, his lips would probably have a striking resemblance to the fucking Joker.

"I'll tell you when you're older, kiddo.", Rogue snickered, his cheeks slowly returning to their normal, pale color.

"I'm pretty sure I'm technically older than you.", Cobra stated with a raised eyebrow.

"Mentally you are, but in that body you're barely tall enough to reach my waist.", the dark haired male grinned.

"I'm going to poison your fucking coffee.", Cobra seethed.

"Oi, there will be no poisoning the drink of the Gods. I have a habit of stealing sips from both Sting and Rogue and I would prefer not to die.", Lucy pouted cutely.

"Well, shit. New plan. Midnight, you wanna help me devise the plan for our mother's potential future boyfriend with me?", the maroon haired boy asked with a feral grin.

"You don't have to ask me twice.", Midnight chuckled before slowly wiggling his way free of the numerous arms that were still wrapped around him. While he'd enjoyed the embrace immensely, his ass was going numb and his legs felt like they were made of Jello.

And not the good kind either, they felt like sugar free, blue raspberry Jello.

The very thought of something so horrible existing was an affront to the Gods.

Lucy and the elder Slayers watched the two boys wiggle their way free from the unexpected, borderline snuggle fest on the floor. The blonde woman couldn't help but shake her head at the young boys' actions. They were both technically full grown men but they still acted like children in some ways. She silently wondered what sort of man Midnight would be once his memories came back to him. She knew he's probably still be a quiet kid, but if his vocabulary was any indication, she was in for some interesting conversations once he remembered everything that had transpired in the past.

"Well, that wasn't exactly how I expected that conversation to go.", Lucy commented with a soft laugh. She barely even registered the fact that Rogue was still sitting behind her, his arms wrapped firmly around her waist with his chin resting on her shoulder. She didn't mind the position they were in, she actually found it to be quite comfortable. If she didn't have to pack for the job tomorrow, she probably would have leaned back further into his embrace and passed the hell out. But alas, there were things to do before she could rest after all the excitement that the day had brought with it.

"I wholeheartedly agree.", Rogue hummed.

"Geez, do I need to leave you two alone for a moment. The amount of sexual tension in this room right now is grossing me out. That's my sister you're wrapped around, ass.", Sting cringed. Yeah, he admitted it, Lucy was like that annoying little sister that he couldn't help but adore.

"Aww, Stingy Bee admitted that he thinks of me as a sister.", Lucy cooed with a small squeal.

"At least I can admit that I have feelings for Lucy.", Rogue smirked.

"Are you insinuating that I'm in love with my sister? We're not far enough south for incest to be socially acceptable.", Sting laughed out.

"Oh, you have feelings for me? When were you planning on sharing that tidbit of information with me, Rogue?", Lucy asked as calmly as she could. She refused to act like a blushing virgin at that moment. She was a grown ass woman and was, in fact, not a virgin. And she wasn't about to start acting like one now. She was beyond flattered that Rogue had feelings for her and she'd be lying if she tried to say that she didn't return them.

It was just really, really nice to hear those words out loud.

"I was actually planning to either tell you while we were on the mission or once we returned. But it would seem that today had other plans for that. I blame my idiot of a partner more than anything though.", Rogue admitted easily. He tried to stay as calm as he could in this situation. He had finally admitted his feelings out loud to the woman currently snuggled up in his arms, which he was beyond happy about, but Lucy hadn't told him if she returned those feelings or not. He took the fact that she hadn't pulled away from him as a good sign though.

"Well, no time like the present, eh Rogue?", Sting smirked, he knew that he had asked if he should leave them alone, but he was enjoying himself way too much to leave now. He was happier than hell for his partner and brother for finally fessing up about having romantic feelings for Lucy. He had a feeling that the feelings between Rogue and Lucy were mutual, so he wasn't worried about his best friend being rejected.

That would have made the entire mission the next day seriously awkward if Lucy rejected Rogue.

"I suppose you're right for once.", Rogue admitted with a small sigh.

"What do you mean 'for once'!", Sting barked back in response.

"Sting, as much as I hate to admit it, Rogue is completely right. You're rarely right about anything.", Lucy laughed.

"I'm going to pretend that my sister didn't basically call me a moron. So, I'm going to ask the question that Rogue doesn't have the Dragon Balls to ask. Do you feel the same way about him?", Sting asked. He leaned his body in as close as he could, his face mere inches away from hers. To anybody else, it probably looked like he was about to kiss her or talk dirty to her.

But he wasn't into incest and this wasn't a Jason Derulo music video. He just didn't want to miss a damn thing she said.

"Not that it's really any of your business, Mr. Nosy, but since Rogue is probably dying for an answer as well...yes. I have feelings for him too.", Lucy replied with a grin before flicking Sting in the forehead to get his face away from hers. She could practically see every pore on his face and it was starting to freak her out. The only man she wanted that close to her face just so happened to be sitting behind her, wrapped around her smaller frame like a gigantic, clingy koala.

A koala that could eat shadows and smack people around with them.

 _'Note to self, never bring Rogue to the zoo. I'd probably point at the koala's and tell him that his brothers and sisters miss him. Secondly, make sure to ask said overgrown koala to channel his inner pimp and have him pimp slap Sting with a shadow. Shit would be priceless.'_ , Lucy thought with a giggle.

"The hell is so funny, Blondie?", Sting grumbled as he rubbed the spot she'd flicked on his forehead. How could something so small and skinny hurt so damn much?!

"Trust me, you really don't want to know. And you're blonde too, Bumble Booty.", Lucy snickered.

"Bumble...Booty...?", Sting muttered to himself before lifting himself from the ground and left the room. Where the hell did she come up with half the shit she said?

"It would seem that you are able to get rid of Sting as easily as I am.", Rogue commented with a smirk.

"It would seem so.", Lucy smirked in return.

"So, now that I've thrown my feelings out there and you've admitted to returning them, I have a question for you.", the dark haired Slayer said with a small, contented sigh. He'd stay like this forever if he could. Even if his ass had gone numb a long time ago. He was pretty sure his ass was destined to be flat for the rest of his life. It was probably a good thing, because he swore if Lucy ever called him something disturbing like Shadow Booty, he'd die of embarrassment. His pride as a man would wither and die within moments.

"Ask me anything.", Lucy replied softly. She turned her head slightly so she could peak at the man on her shoulder out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened a small bit when she noticed the soft, content look on his face and the happiness shining in his normally expressionless eyes. She quickly decided that she enjoyed this expression on his face more than any of his other rare facial expressions. The soft smile on his face had better be reserved just for her, a man having such an adorable smile should have been illegal.

"When we return from the mission, would you like to go on a date with me?", Rogue murmured before burying his nose in the side of her neck. He'd never admit it out loud, but Lucy's scent was probably one of the most beautiful things he'd ever smelled in his life. White Lilies and a hint of cherry blossoms thrown in the mix. Absolutely beautiful.

"I'd love to.", she replied softly without hesitation, a small smile gracing her lips.

After all the excitement that had gone on at the guildhall and after Midnight's breakdown, this was exactly the sort of relaxation that she needed.

"Wonderful. Now, as comfortable as I am right, we should probably go make sure your kids aren't actually plotting my death. I rather enjoy having a beating heart and my head staying attached to my body.", Rogue smirked. He felt wonderful, he'd gotten to girl of his dreams and he hadn't made an absolute ass out of himself when he confessed.

 _'Bonus points so Shadow Booty...wait, fuck, did I really just call myself Shadow Booty?! I blame Bumble Booty...I mean Sting! STING!''_ , Rogue internally screeched. This was not okay. He was a very in control man. Why the shit was he calling his best friend by that awkward nickname that Lucy had stuck him with. He'd be safe as long as he never spoke that name out loud and never, ever thought about it again.

Cobra would hold it over his head until the day he finally kicked the bucket and became one with a six foot hole in the ground.

"Damn right I'll hold that shit against you, Shadow Booty!", Cobra yelled from the second floor before four resounding thuds could be heard throughout the house and roars of laughter shook the house.

Rogue guessed the Midnight and Cobra had probably rolled off their beds and were probably clutching each other while struggling to breathe. Sting, it seemed, had fallen off the deck outside and was currently rolling around in the grass while busting a gut and screeching about really needing to piss. Now Lucy, his Lucy, was rolling around on the floor in front of him laughing so hard that she was fucking _wheezing_.

"Dear God, strike me where I stand. I will never live this day down until I'm dead and buried. Maybe not even then.", Rogue moaned in shame, his arms raised towards the heavens as if he was willing the Gods to strike him down. Hell, at this point he'd take a lightening bolt to the face by either Laxus or Orga.

Or both.

After about ten minutes of gut bursting laughter, the humiliation had ended and Rogue hoped it was over for good. As long as nobody made a comment about anything that had happened in the last twelve or so minutes, he'd be safe.

"Oi! Mom! Sting!", Midnight called from upstairs.

"What?!", both blondes shouted back.

"Guess what?!", Cobra cried.

Rogue's face paled. He wouldn't...

"SHADOW BOOTY!", Cobra and Midnight roared before they broke into another fit of gut wrenching laughter.

Lucy and Bumble Booty followed shortly after.

Rogue sighed and accepted his fate, it was better that they all let it out now. Lest they screw up the mission by starting to giggle while they were tracking down their targets.

At least Midnight wasn't depressed anymore and Cobra was in a better mood, even if both of the boys were probably plotting his death while they laughed themselves to tears.

Sting had finally admitted the brotherly love he carried for the blonde woman who was laughing so hard she was snorting with a pink of meth.

And best of all, he'd admitted his feelings for said snorting woman on the floor.

Life was good. It was great.

"SHADOW BOOTY!"

He was going to take so much pleasure in getting revenge on each and every one of them for putting him through this.

Especially Cobra.

He was going _down_.

* * *

 **Alright! We ended with some humor that I giggled at while writing. Hope you enjoyed!**

 **As always, this story does not have a beta so I'm sorry for any mistakes that I may have missed!**

 **On a side note: There is a chance that I will not be able to update until sometime next week. I will be leaving Thursday early afternoon and heading to my mother's for the weekend. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write, if any, so I'm warning you guys now. I'm going to try my best to try to pump out one more chapter before I leave on Thursday. If all else fails, I'll charge up my laptop and keep writing while my fiance drives.**

 **Anyway!**

 **ROGUE CONFESSED! Sneaky Bumble Booty totally set him up for that confession.**

 **Lucy returns those feelings!**

 **Midnight had a bit of a break down, but can you really blame him?**

 **Sting thinks of Lucy as a sister and finally admitted it, isn't that just the cutest thing?**

 **It's job time next chapter! So hold onto your Shadow or Bumble Booties! Cause shits about to start picking up here real quick!**

 **Anyway...**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **One more thing...**

 **SHADOW BOOTY! BUMBLE BOOTY!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so this took a little bit longer for me to get out than I had hoped. SOOOOO SORRY about that. My weekend ended up being more stressful and drama filled rather than relaxing and I haven't been in much of a writing mood. But I promised a chapter after I got home and I'm here to deliver! Hopefully this chapter makes up for the wait, if not, again I'm really sorry!**

 **Couple questions for you guys at the bottom, so make sure to read the authors note at the end of the chapter!**

 **On a happier note...today is my 22nd birthday! Yay for getting old! I'm practically ancient now!**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story.**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow! It helps keep my creative juices flowing when I hear your feedback. :)**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper**

* * *

Previously;

 _Rogue sighed and accepted his fate, it was better that they all let it out now. Lest they screw up the mission by starting to giggle while they were tracking down their targets._

 _At least Midnight wasn't depressed anymore and Cobra was in a better mood, even if both of the boys were probably plotting his death while they laughed themselves to tears._

 _Sting had finally admitted the brotherly love he carried for the blonde woman who was laughing so hard she was snorting with a pig on meth._

 _And best of all, he'd admitted his feelings for said snorting woman on the floor._

 _Life was good. It was great._

 _"SHADOW BOOTY!"_

 _He was going to take so much pleasure in getting revenge on each and every one of them for putting him through this._

 _Especially Cobra._

 _He was going_ down.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy woke up feeling a lot more refreshed than usual. The night before had been a total riot filled with belly bursting laughter and almost all of the guild had apologized to her children. Not only that, but Rogue had worked up the courage to ask her out. The thought of the aloof Dragon Slayer taking a romantic interest in her was more than a little surprising. She was sure that he would have gone after someone a little less emotional and bubbly than herself. Apparently she was dead wrong. Not that she was complaining, especially since she returned his feelings, surprisingly enough.

She rolled herself out of bed and went about her morning routine. She jumped through the shower, refusing to take anymore time than was needed. They had a train to catch this morning and she would be damned if she caused them to miss their train or arrive late. She knew that waking Sting and the kids would be an enormous pain in her ass, so she wanted to make sure she had enough time to roll their asses out of bed. She silently thanked the Gods that she had made sure everyone was packed for the trip the night before. She thanked them again when she remembered that she wouldn't have to wake Rogue up as well, the man was always up early and rarely slept in.

Once she was clean and dressed in a simple blue, cotton top that revealed her stomach and a pair of white skinny jeans, she left her room to start waking up the other inhabitants of her home. She started with the most difficult, Midnight. While the young boy slept a lot easier than he had in the past, he was still horribly difficult to wake up in the morning. She had tried everything she could think of to wake him up quicker but nothing ever worked. The only thing that seemed to actually work was a bit cruel but he understood why she had to do it. If she didn't, he'd sleep all day.

Lucy opened the door to her youngest son's bedroom and snorted at the mess of blankets and pillows that surrounded his tiny body. His bi-colored haired clashed with his black and white sheets and she was sure that if the black in his hair wasn't spiky as all hell, she'd never be able to find him. She walked over to the edge of his bed and sat down on the mattress close to his head. She leaned her head close to the young boy before whispering in his ear.

"Midnight, Sting tried to peep on me in the shower.", she whispered softly in his ear. She didn't know why this of all things woke him up without fail, but they had a schedule to keep and she couldn't afford to allow the sweet little boy to sleep the entire day away.

The moment the words passed through Lucy's lips, Midnight's ruby red eyes snapped open and a small growl coursed through the small boy's body. He say up quickly and ripped the blankets from his body before leaping off the bed. He marched angrily over to the door of his bedroom and rested his hand on the knob before turning to regard his mother.

"Did he actually try to peep on you this time or was I close to over sleeping again?", he muttered, part of him actually hoping for a chance to beat some sense into the blonde Slayer.

"We have a mission today, remember? I had to get you up as quickly as possible, otherwise I would have just let you sleep until noon like usual.", Lucy replied with a shake of her head.

"Oh yeah, the mission. Well, I'll start getting ready then. But seriously, if he ever tries to peep on you, his nightmares will become a reality.", the boy nodded in acceptance.

"I know that all too well, trust me.", the blonde laughed before lifting herself from her youngest son's bed and making her way towards the exit.

When Midnight removed his hand from the knob, she leaned down and placed a small kiss on the crown of his head before exiting his room. She quickly reminded him that they needed to leave soon and told him to get dressed and meet the others in the living room. The boy shot her a small nod before closing the door behind his mother and proceeded to get ready for the day.

* * *

Lucy approached her next victims door and popped it open without bothering to knock. There wasn't any point in knocking on Cobra's door since the boy had better hearing than Rogue and Sting combined. The moment the door made the slightest sound, Cobra sat up from his sheets, his eyes narrowing into slits in irritation. It seemed that even with all his adult memories, he still hated being woken up. She supposed that she couldn't blame him, she hated being disturbed when she was sleeping peacefully too.

"Hate to wake you up, Cobra, but we have to head to the train station soon.", Lucy apologized with a small smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't forget. Did you already wake Midnight's sleepy ass up or do I need to find Laxus so I can taze him?", Cobra asked with a wide yawn, he rubbed his eyes with small fists and Lucy had to resist the urge to coo at how cute it was. If she even thought about using the word cute when describing Cobra, she'd probably get her ass handed to her. Or he'd pout.

She liked to believe that her son would just pout at her and stick her tongue out like the eight year old he technically was.

"He's already awake, I made sure to take care of him first. I had to tell him that Sting tried to peep on me in the shower and he woke right up.", Lucy explained with a shrug.

"One of these days, Sting is going to find out that you say that to Midnight and actually try to peep on you.", the maroon haired boy pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm aware of that, but nothing else works. Besides, if Bumble Booty tried to peep on me, he'd have two Slayers trying to castrate him and a pissed off kid who can make nightmares become reality destroying his psyche.", the blonde replied easily.

"Good point, now, if you'd kindly get out of my room, I'd like to get dressed.", Cobra grunted before rolling himself out of bed.

"Meet up with Midnight in the living room, I'm going to go scare the shit out of Sting so his lazy ass gets out of bed.", Lucy replied with a smirk.

"Always knew there was something I like about you when we first met, Bright Eyes.", Cobra snorted.

"Just remember that you have to act like I'm your mother while we're on the job and in public.", Lucy reminded before exiting the older boys room, her heart soaring at the sweet nickname the Poison Slayer had given her.

Cobra watched as Lucy exited his room, his lips twitching at the ends as he tried to fight the urge to grin. He hadn't been lying when he'd told her that he still thought of her as his mother. She was the closest this to a mother that him and Midnight had ever had. Just because he had his memories of the past back, he wasn't going to stop feeling that way. Besides, he was stuck in his eight year old body until God knows when. He supposed that he might as well enjoy the fact that he could have a somewhat normal childhood this time around.

"You have no idea just how fucking special you are to all of us, do you, Lucy Heartfillia.", he muttered to himself before he rolled his happy ass out of bed and started to get ready for the day.

* * *

Lucy stood in front of her guest bedroom and groaned. She always dreaded when she had to wake up the White Slayer. It wasn't that he was grumpy or difficult to wake up. No, he was just cuddly as hell and liked to try to use her as a damned teddy bear whenever she woke him up. Normally, she wouldn't have been bothered by it. Years of having Natsu slipping into her bed and using her as his own personal stuffed animal had made her immune to being embarrassed by a simple snuggle.

But Sting tended to sleep nude and she didn't really feel like being snuggled by a naked man.

Unless it was Rogue, she probably wouldn't protest much if he snuggled her in the nude.

"Okay, it's way too early for pervy thoughts. Time to wake up blonder Blondie.", she grumbled under her breath before pushing the door open.

She walked into the room and repressed the urge to groan. All of his clothing, including his strange panda print boxers, were laying in a heap on the floor. No matter how many times she'd told him, he absolutely refused to at least where boxers to bed. Damn men and their stubborn streaks! With a huff, she padded across the floor and positioned herself next to the mattress as far away from the nude Slayer as possible. She inwardly cringed when the sheet around his hips slid down a little and the prominent V of his hips showed.

She grabbed the edge of the mattress and mentally prepared herself to run like she'd thrown Erza's cake out a fucking window to a pack of rabid chibi Makarov's. The thought of even smaller versions of Makarov made her mentally cringe at the image. If the old man got any sorter, looking up the skirts of the female members of the guild would become even easier for the perverted guild master. She quickly shook the disturbing image from her mind before the sudden urge to vomit took over.

She stole a glance at the doorway and raised an eyebrow when she noticed Rogue standing in the doorway, watching her. She grinned when she realized that he had a recorder lacrima in his hand and her grin widened when he waved a hand at her, gesturing for her to go on.

Lucy nodded at Rogue and the recorder in his hand before turning her attention back to the sleeping Slayer, a small, sadistic smirk curving across her lips. She gripped the mattress harder and with a great heave, she lifted the mattress off the box spring at an angle, effectively dumping the beds lone occupant onto the floor with a loud thud. She dropped the heavy mattress back into its rightful place before bolting to Rogue's side, completely ready to use him as a human shield if she had to.

"What the actual hell?!", Sting yelped in an undignified manner as his body made contact with the unforgiving floor.

"Oh good, you're awake. Hurry up and get dressed, we unfortunately have a train to catch.", Rogue ordered with a small, innocent smile. He quickly hid the lacrima in his hand in the pocket of his pants and watched his partner grasp the side of the mattress so he could push himself to his feet.

"How the hell did I become one with the floor?", Sting groaned, one hand clinging to the side of the bed while the other rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"It was the mystical fairies from those wonderful Fairy Tales that we all know that you secretly love to read.", Lucy snickered.

"Hey! The classics are fucking beautiful!", Sting protested with a frown.

"You cried when Ariel lost her voice during the Little Mermaid. You cried when Murfasa died in the Lion King. Hell, you bawled like a baby back bitch when Sleeping Beauty was put into a supposed eternal sleep. We can't even watch Disney movies in this house." Lucy pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"What's wrong with that?! Have you no heart, woman?!", Sting wailed.

Everybody had completely forgotten that the blonde Slayer was currently naked as hell.

"You tried to Notebook me, I'm pretty sure you're the heartless one here, Bumble Booty.", Lucy muttered.

"It's a wonderful movie!"

"It's a chick flick and you cried more than every woman who has ever watched that movie.", Rogue pointed out, more than a little happy that he still had to lacrima in his pocket recording. While the image may just be of the pocket lint that was probably lining his pocket, all of their voices could still be heard. Oh, how he just loved blackmail.

"What's your point?!", Sting protested, more than a little offended.

"He means you're a fucking pussy! Now put some goddamn clothes on before I melt off you wedding tackle with my poison and have Midnight broadcast those cringey ass dreams of yours for the entire guild!", Cobra yelled from downstairs in the living room.

"How did we forget he was naked?", Rogue muttered to himself, just loud enough for himself and Lucy to hear.

"Language, Cobra!", Lucy called towards the stairs before turning her attention back to the nude blonde in her guest room. "And seriously, get dressed, we need to get going. We'll roast you some more once you're actually wearing pants."

Without waiting for a response from the stunned White Slayer, Lucy and Rogue exited the room and firmly closed the door behind them. Neither of them wanted to see Sting's Dragon Slayer Secret Art; Holy Penis.

* * *

Once the party of five had bought their train tickets and boarded the train, Lucy began to dread the ride they were about to take. She'd ridden the train with Natsu more times than she could count and was used to his motion sickness, but to ride a train with three Dragon Slayers? She had a feeling that she'd be drowning in a metaphorical sea of bitching, whining, moaning, complaining, and possibly vomit. She swore to the heavens that if one of them started to so much as _lurch_ in her general direction, they were going straight out the window. She didn't care who it was, she wasn't about to bathe in the vomit of her loved ones.

She refused to be a makeshift puke bucket to three different puke cannons.

The ride to Basil would take them about three hours, so she supposed that it could be worse. She could be stuck on a boat heading to Seven with three Slayers. She would take a three hour train ride over a couple days on a boat with three Slayers.

Once the five traveling companions found an empty cabin that would fit them all, Lucy made sure to grab the seat closest to the door, she wanted to quickest exit possible in case all three Slayers started to get ill. She pointed at the seat across from her and gestured for Midnight to sit there. She wanted the Slayers as close to the windows as possible. They had a better chance of making it to the window to hurl than making it to the bathroom on the other side of the train car they were in.

Once they were all seated in their somewhat assigned seats, Lucy took a moment to look around their cabin and raised an eyebrow when she noticed that there was no place in the car to store luggage. If there was ever a time to be grateful for Virgo's insistence of storing their bags in the Spirit World, it was now. She didn't even want to think about how cramped it would be if she they were forced to store their things by their feet while also trying to quell the rolling stomachs of a couple of Dragon Slayers.

"How long of a train ride is it again?", Sting moaned pitifully.

Lucy didn't even bother to hide the roll of her eyes, the train wasn't even moving yet and he was already acting like he was seconds away from dying.

"It's about three hours, you'll just have to suck it up.", she sighed.

"You're not going to let me escape this train and walk to Basil, are you, mother.", Cobra grunted.

"I think you already know the answer to that. But, if you promise not to barf of me, I'll let you lay in my lap and I'll rub your temples.", Lucy replied with a small sigh.

Without further motivation, Cobra all but threw his tiny body into the blondes lap. The train hadn't even started moving yet but his stomach already felt like it was about to explode. He hadn't experienced motion sickness at all before being turned into a child and he swore he was never going to mock the other Slayer's for their aversion to all things on wheels ever again.

"Why does he automatically get your lap?", Rogue pouted uncharacteristically.

"Because he's my son.", Lucy replied as if stating the obvious.

"But isn't Rogue your boyfriend, mom?", Midnight pointed out, not even bothering to open his eyes to watch the pitiful scene unfold.

"We haven't even gone on a date yet, Midnight. If you're so worried about it, why not have Rogue lay in your lap?", Lucy suggested, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm pretty sure that could be considered creepy since he's a kid, I think I'll just suffer in silence.", Rogue cringed.

"I would prefer that you stayed away from my lap as well.", Midnight shuddered before peaking his eyes open to give his mother a dirty look.

"I could always knock you and Sting out like Erza does to Natsu when we used to ride the train as a team.", the blonde suggested with a shrug.

"I think I'd prefer that you did so, the train is about to depart and I really don't feel like suffering for the next three hours.", the dark haired Slayer muttered.

"Knock me out too, if you would.", Sting whined.

"Midnight, darling, would you mind knocking them out, please?", Lucy asked sweetly.

Without looking at either of the elder Dragon Slayers near him, Midnight lifted his left hand and cast a sleeping spell on the two men. He had a feeling that if his mother had removed his older brother from her lap, they both probably would have gotten a swift Lucy Kick to the head. He didn't want to listen to either of the gripe or complain about her rough treatment later, so he was glad that his mother had asked him to do the deed. The nice thing about having magic consisted of controlling his victims nightmares was that he was able to put them to sleep as well.

Especially since he could do it without giving them horrific nightmares. Too bad he was unable to cast such a spell on himself. He'd never have to deal with his horrific dreams again.

Lucy sighed in relief as the two older Slayers slumped against the window next to them, dead asleep. It would be a peaceful couple of hours and she wouldn't have to deal with dodging puke cannons. She'd call that a win any day.

The telltale sign of the train whistle blowing signaled that the train was about to depart. Lucy combed her fingers through Cobra's silky mane of maroon hair and sighed with content. It had been way too long since she'd taken a mission and she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't excited about it. Sure, not having to worry about her rent payments all the time was great, but she missed the action that came along with taking jobs. She didn't like that fact that she felt rusty and out of practice. Now that she was comfortable with her boys going on jobs and actually entering the guildhall, she would be able to take more jobs.

The fact that she'd found good job partners in the former Sabertooth mages was a bonus as well. Not only did her boys have experienced Dragon Slayers to help them, especially Cobra, they had positive male roll models in their lives as well. Although her food bill was a lot higher than it was when she was apart of Team Natsu, she didn't have the irritating rude awakenings that she'd had in the past. None of the former Sabertooth mages broke into her house at off hours of the night and raided her fridge and pantry.

Again, a total win in her book.

They didn't invade her privacy like Gray, Erza, Natsu, and Happy did. She'd never once found Sting, Rogue, Orga, or Rufus riffling through her underwear drawer. Although she had a feeling it was only a matter of time before she caught Sting doing such a thing. Or Rufus' secretly perverted ass, if she was being honest. She knew that Rogue and Orga were curious about the novel she was writing, but they respected her enough not to try to read it every time she wasn't looking.

Although Froche and Lector had convinced her to write Exceed stories for them so she and the other's could read to them before bedtime when they spent the night, not that she really minded doing that for the cute little Exceeds.

* * *

Three hours later, the train finally arrived in the station in Basil. The train ride had gone by quickly and without incident, much to Lucy's eternal relief. Midnight had fallen asleep the moment the train started to roll across the tracks, his consciousness had slipped away to the soothing melody of the train's wheels clacking against the tracks. The Twin Dragon's had slept peacefully during the entire trip thanks to Midnight's sleeping spell and Lucy had thankfully not had to drag their asses off the train like she'd had to do with her former partner numerous times in the past. And Cobra had fallen into a peaceful slumber about ten minutes after the train started moving, thanks to her gentle massaging of his scalp.

The five mages walked down the cobble stone path the led to the inn that they would be staying in for the next couple of days while they completed their mission. Once they were checked in and their belongings were dropped off in their rooms, they would make the short trek to their contacts home for more details about their job. They didn't suspect that the job would be very difficult, but they knew better that to be carefree when it came to any sort of job. You never knew just who you were going up against until you were confronted by the enemy.

Lucy had learned that the hard way on more than one occasion.

Lucy raised her eyebrow with amusement when she saw the name of the inn that they would be staying in for the next few days, a million jokes were right on the tip of her tongue and she had to bite it just to keep her thoughts to herself.

"Bumble Bee Inn", Sting read aloud with a twitch of his eye.

The blonde Slayer tried as hard as he could to ignore the sound of four people snickering at the name.

"Not one word, any of you.", he growled lowly.

"Aww, but Stingy Bee, you've got you're very own inn named after you.", Lucy teased.

"Could be worse, it could be called Bumble Booty", Midnight pointed out.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art; Holy Penis...", Cobra muttered under his breath. He internally cringed when Rogue's thoughts confirmed that he was about to say the exact same thing.

"Beat me to it.", Rogue sighed under his breath.

"I hate you all.", Sting grunted.

"We all know that that's a filthy lie.", Lucy yawned with a wave of her hand.

"Stop being right!"

"Didn't you hear? Women are always right.", the younger blonde pointed out.

"Rogue, control your wife!", Sting barked.

"Wife?", Rogue, Cobra, and Midnight all asked at once, all of them had an eyebrow raised in question.

Lucy smacked her forehead in exasperation. At least missions would never be dull again, that was for sure. Here they were, making strange ass jokes in front of an inn, no doubt entertaining every passerby that walked past them.

"How about we just check into our rooms and go talk to the client?", Lucy suggested with a groan. She needed them to stop before this escalated further. She didn't want an all out brawl to start and have to sacrifice the reward for the job that they hadn't even done yet because they destroyed something.

"I think that would be wise.", Rogue agreed before opening the door to the inn and stepping inside.

Lucy followed Rogue through the doors of the inn, the other three mages right on her heels.

They made quick work of checking in at the desk and grabbed the keys to the two rooms that they'd rented. They walked down a small hallway and sighed with relief when the saw that the rooms were not only right next to each other, but they had a door in their rooms that connected them to the other room. After Lucy called out Virgo to grab their bags, they all took a moment to put away a few things before exiting their rooms and leaving the inn.

* * *

Lucy swiftly knocked on their client's door and took a step away from the door, positioning herself between her two sons and they waited for the door to be answered. When the door opened, a middle aged man with salt a pepper hair stared at the five mages in confusion.

"Can I help you with something?", the man asked politely.

"We're here about the job you posted about the bandits.", Lucy informed with a small smile.

"Ah, yes. You five must be from Fairy Tail. If you would kindly show me your emblems, I can tell you more about your job.", the man nodded with his own smile.

Without further prompting, Lucy lifted up her hand and showed him the pink mark on the back. Rogue and Sting turned to the right and showed off their Fairy Tail emblems. Midnight and Cobra spun around on their heels and pulled their shirts over their heads, displaying the marks between their shoulder blades. Once they heard the man hum in approval, the two boys replaced their shirts to their rightful places before turning back around to face the man.

"I see everything is in order, please come in.", the man said as he stepped away from the door to open it wide enough for the five mages to enter.

The man led them through the house after introducing himself as Alfred and gestured for them to take a seat in the chairs scattered tastefully around the den he'd led them to.

Once she was comfortable, Lucy turned her attention towards Alfred,"Would you mind telling us a little bit more about the job and why you posted it?"

"Ah yes, the job. It started about two and a half weeks or so ago. I'm not exactly sure what their goal is or why they've chosen Basil to bare the brunt of their brutality. They've ravaged most of the stores and grocery stalls in town over the past few weeks and never actually leave with anything. I couldn't tell you in they're just doing this to be cruel or if they are actually looking for something. Normally we wouldn't bother a wizard guild for something like that, but it's starting to get worse now. The attacks on the stores seem to be getting more aggressive.", Alfred explained with a frown.

"Worse how, if I may ask?", Rogue asked politely.

"They've started to ambush and mug the townspeople when they venture outside of city limits. This started about five or six days ago. Again, they never actually take anything, not even the money that the people they mug are carrying. That just makes me think that they are looking for something specific even more. If you're going to mug somebody, why would you not take the money that your victim is carrying? It just seems odd to me, even as a regular citizen.", the older man sighed.

Cobra frowned at the man as he listened to the older man's train of thought. There was something that he wasn't telling them and he couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was almost as if Alfred knew exactly who he was and was purposely not thinking about it so Cobra wouldn't be able to find out what he was hiding. He tried to delve deeper into the mans psyche but had to bite back a growl of frustration when he was all but kicked out of the mans mind.

Just what the hell was this man hiding from them?

The maroon haired boy stole a glace at his brother and could see that Midnight was just as conflicted as he was. The bi-colored haired boy wasn't able to hear what was going on within a person's mind, but he could easily see that something was wrong. If two small boys could see that something about this situation was off, then there was no doubt that Lucy, Sting, and Rogue could tell that something was up at well.

"That does seem rather odd, I'll give you that much.", Rogue nodded in agreement.

"There is one other concern that I have, if you would be willing to listen.", Alfred said as he looked at the two children flanking the blonde woman across from him.

"And what would this concern of yours be, hmm?", Sting asked with a raised eyebrow. He was pretty sure that Rogue and Lucy knew exactly what this Alfred person was about to say, just as he did.

"Are you sure that it is wise to bring two young boys on a job where they could be injured? They look younger than ten years of age. Surely your guild would not allow such young children to go on such a job.", Alfred answered with a frown.

"I can assure you that my children are more than capable to carry out the job that they have chosen to take.", Lucy assured with a small growl.

"I am only concerned for their well being, much like you should be. Especially considering who these children are.", the client replied with a wave of his hand.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?", Rogue growled, his fists tightening at his sides.

"Those children are clearly Cobra and Midnight, former members of the dark guild known as the Oracion Seis. Do not take me for a fool. Has your guild sunken so low that they would allow the rejected projects of Master Brain to join its ranks?", Alfred taunted.

"I think it's time you told us exactly who you are.", Cobra snarled.

"Oh, Erik, is that any way to treat an old friend of the man who graciously took you and that pathetic brat in instead of allowing you both to rot away within the confines of the Tower of Heaven? Oh how he would laugh at the sorry state that you've been reduced to. You've been tamed! Domesticated! By a blonde whore who could barely hold her own against Angel of all people!", Alfred mocked before throwing his head back and roared with taunting laughter.

The next moment was a total blur to everyone in the room. Before anybody knew what was happening, Alfred was set flying across the room by a wave of almost invisible magical power. Alfred crashed against the wall behind him with an almighty thud and everyone in the room's eyes widened at what had just happened. Their attention drew away from the unconscious form of Alfred and turned towards the form of a panting and very, very angry Midnight.

"It would be wise not to speak such things about our mother, you piece of shit.", Midnight panted out harshly.

"M-midnight?", Lucy stuttered with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, Lucy. I didn't think that he would trigger such emotions within me, I acted without thinking and purely on instinct. I'm afraid I cannot bare the thought of anyone speaking to you with such disrespect.", Midnight grit out between clenched teeth.

Cobra's mind was whirling. The thoughts racing through Midnight's mind could only mean one thing.

Midnight remembered everything. Alfred had triggered something deep within him and had granted him the return of his memories of the past.

"Did you just call me Lucy?", the blonde woman asked in confusion.

"Indeed. I remember everything. That is a conversation for another time though, for now, we must focus on that piece of trash currently waking up across the room.", Midnight nodded stiffly.

Just as the group of Fairy Tail mages were about to turn their attention back to the man that could possibly hold all the answers to Cobra and Midnight's predicament, a powerful blast of magic slashed through the creamy surface of Lucy's arm, nearly ripping the skin the shreds. The blonde woman let out an ear piecing scream at the pain and dropped to her knees.

Cobra and Midnight immediately dropped to their knees next to the woman and tore their shirts off before pressing the fabric against the wound in her arm.

"The fuck is going on?!", Sting roared.

"Where the hell did that attack come from?", Rogue growled. Whoever had dared to harm Lucy was going to pay for every drop of blood that left their body with a drop of their own.

A wild sounding laugh echoed through the room and the five mages looked around frantically as they looked for the source. While Lucy was in horrific pain, she knew that she needed to keep her guard up. She didn't want to put Midnight or Cobra in danger because she allowed herself to become vulnerable.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Erik and Macbeth?", a voice echoed through the room.

"No. Fucking. Way.", Cobra growled.

"I'd know that voice anywhere.", Midnight seethed.

"Mind cluing us in here?!", Sting barked.

"Master Zero...", Lucy whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

She had a feeling that this seemingly easy job was about to get a whole lot more difficult.

* * *

 **BOOM! Shit is starting to get extremely REAL up in this story! Hopefully you're just as excited about that as I am! Was it worth the wait? I even made it a little longer than the last couple chapters since I'm posting kinda late. Again, I'm really sorry about the delay. I'll try to keep myself on my game and continue to update this regularly again. It felt too weird not updating every few days.**

 **As always, this story does not have a beta so I'm sorry for any mistakes that I may have missed while editing this chapter!**

 **Couple questions for you guys, because I want you guys to enjoy this story as much as possible!**

 **Should I knock down the random bouts of humor I throw into the story and focus on it being more serious?**

 **Or would you rather I balanced out the seriousness with the humor like I've been doing?**

 **It's totally up to you guys! Let me know what you would prefer!**

 **SHIT IS GETTING SO REAL OH MY GOD!**

 **Midnight remembers!**

 **Master Zero has made an appearance!**

 **Will Midnight, Cobra, and the others get some damn answers?!**

 **Is Zero the mastermind behind their new childlike appearances?!**

 **Will they be stuck going through puberty again!?**

 **Guess you'll just have to stick around and find out, hmm?**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright! Chapter eight is officially here! Sorry for the wait...I'd like to warn you all before hand that I am not used to writing fighting scenes AT ALL. Any feedback you have for this chapter would be greatly appreciated! If there is any way that you think that this story or chapter could be improved, please do not hesitate to let me know.**

 **Due to Christmas being only a couple of weeks away, my schedule is going to be a little bit hectic so I am going to apologize in advance if updates are a little more spaced out until the new year. I'm sure you all can understand that!**

 **Sadly, this chapter is a little shorter than they usually are. I had a bit of trouble with this chapter and it just wouldn't work with me, dammit!**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story.**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow! They really do make it a lot easier to write this story, haha.**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper**

* * *

Previously;

 _"The fuck is going on?!", Sting roared._

 _"Where the hell did that attack come from?", Rogue growled. Whoever had dared to harm Lucy was going to pay for every drop of blood that left their body with a drop of their own._

 _A wild sounding laugh echoed through the room and the five mages looked around frantically as they looked for the source. While Lucy was in horrific pain, she knew that she needed to keep her guard up. She didn't want to put Midnight or Cobra in danger because she allowed herself to become vulnerable._

 _"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Erik and Macbeth?", a voice echoed through the room._

 _"No. Fucking. Way.", Cobra growled._

 _"I'd know that voice anywhere.", Midnight seethed._

 _"Mind cluing us in here?!", Sting barked._

 _"Master Zero...", Lucy whispered, her eyes filling with tears._

 _She had a feeling that this seemingly easy job was about to get a whole lot more difficult._

* * *

Lucy whipped her head back and forth as she looked for the form of Master Zero. She had been completely convinced that the sadistic former master of the Oracion Seis was as good as dead, but it seemed that she had been dead wrong. The only other way that the man that had once controlled the two boys she now looked at as her children could be alive is if someone had gotten their hands on a forbidden spell and had brought him back to life.

From what Lucy knew about ancient spells that could bring the dead back to life was that they required human sacrifices. The only other time that she had run into anything similar to such a thing was during her experience in the Tower of Heaven when Erza had been kidnapped by Jellal all those years ago. But there was no Tower of Heaven anymore, Natsu had made sure of that when he'd gone head to head with Jellal.

So how was Zero still alive? She was sure that the fall he had taken out of Nirvana when Natsu had defeated him would have rendered him without a pulse. She doubted that any of the former members of the Oracion Seis would have come to his aid when he'd lost his fight against Natsu. While they had listened to the orders that Zero had given them, it didn't take a genius to figure out that none of them were the guy's biggest fans. The only person that she knew that had actually held an ounce of respect for the sadistic man was Midnight due to him lying to the poor boy and telling him that he was his father.

Lucy mentally promised to Lucy Kick Zero so hard that he chocked on his teeth as they shattered at the force of her blow. The white haired man had all but ruined Cobra and Midnight's chances at having a normal life after their time in the tower. Not only had he outright stolen their freedom, but he had stolen Angel, Richard, and Racer's freedom as well. At this point, she had no idea what had happened to the other members of the Dark Guild and this wasn't the time to start questioning it. There would come a better time for questioning such things. Especially now that both of her boys remembered everything about their pasts.

A creaking sound a few feet above her head broke Lucy from her thoughts. She looked above her head and searched the ceiling wildly for the sound she had heard overhead. When she saw nothing out of the ordinary, she felt her pulse spike as fear consumed her very being. She had not been present for the last battle that her guild had been in with Master Zero, but after seeing the aftermath, she knew that things could get ugly very, very quickly.

"Lucy, you need to take a deep breath and calm down. Your fear is starting to cover up Zero's scent and it's making it increasingly more difficult to pinpoint where he is hiding.", Rogue's voice broke through the darkness in the room. Though his enhanced vision was normally more than enough for fighting in the dark, he was still having problems making out the outlines of everybody in the room. He was functioning purely on scent and his hearing.

He had no doubt that the other two Slayers in the room were dealing with the same predicament as himself.

Lucy followed Rogue's orders as calmly as she could. He was right, her panic ridden state was probably making their job more difficult and she refused to be the reason that more blood was shed than was needed. Though she didn't want to see anyone that she cared about bleed, she was more than aware that it wouldn't be just Zero's blood that would stain the floor boards beneath their feet. She knew that they would all be walking away with their fair share of injuries once this was all said and done. She hated to admit that there was little to no chance of them fleeing from the battle that was no doubt about to ensue.

But more than anything, she knew that she would not allow any harm to come to the people that she loved. She would fight with everything she had. She would fighting with every ounce of strength that was packed away in her tiny body. She would stand tall and fight alongside the people that she cared about. And once all was said and done, she would demand answers about Cobra and Midnight's childlike states. She had no doubt in her mind that the sadistic, white haired man held some of the answers that they needed.

With all of this in mind, Lucy took one last deep breath before lifting herself from her kneeling position on the floor and tensed her body for battle. She refused to be caught off guard.

"Now, isn't this just touching. Two of my former pets, a weak willed woman who is always in need of rescuing, and two Dragon Slayers that were thrown from their guilds. I'll be sure to drag out your deaths as much as I can.", Zero taunted from his hiding place within the room.

"You're wrong!", Midnight shouted into the darkness, his ruby colored eyes scanning the room as best he could due to the darkness that seemed to engulf the room.

"You think I'm wrong, boy?", Zero's voice rang out, his sneer clearly present in his response.

"Damn right you're fucking wrong. The lives that we lived under your rein are gone for good. As far as we're concerned, you are nothing to us. We are both proud Fairy Tail wizards and we will strike you where you stand. I feel like I should thank you for revealing your position to us though.", Cobra yelled before unleashing a powerful, toxic roar towards the right side of the room.

Without further instruction, two more powerful roars flashed in the same direction. When the combination of poison, shadows, and light connected with their mark, and explosion blew apart the room they had been standing in. Light flooded the makeshift battlefield as the sun shone brightly above them. Zero was slowly raising himself from broken slabs of wood and furniture, the sadistic smile on his face staying firmly in place the entire time.

Lucy pushed a slab of wood off her shoulder before standing once again and faced the direction that Zero was in. She watched in disgust as he raised himself from the ground and wondered how the average human could stand so easily after taking three Dragon Roars at such a short distance. She didn't bother to question in anymore than that before she reached towards her waist and uncurled her whip at her side, readying herself for the real battle.

Midnight stood mere feet away from Lucy and watched as the man he once referred to as his father lifted himself from the destruction that the Dragon Slayers had brought down upon him. He knew that he would not be defeated so easily, but he minutely wondered just what they were about to face. Until now, he had been led to believe that Zero had been dead and gone. While he had been relieved to hear such a statement, he now wondered if this man just a stones throw away from him could truly be the man that had caused so much grief in his young life.

Cobra sneered as he watched Zero turn his body away from himself and didn't bother to repress the growl that vibrated through his throat when his cold, golden colored eyes locked with Lucy's. He wasted no time charging at the man and wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw Rogue and Sting flanking his sides as they charged. Zero had been Beaten by a single Dragon Slayer in the past, there was no way that the sadistic son of a bitch would be able to hold his own against three of them on his own. Especially when they had a talented Celestial Wizard and the Master of Nightmares watching their backs.

There was no way that they would lose this fight.

"Midnight! You watch mom's back while Sting, Rogue, and I focus on this bastard! If he gets anywhere near her, unleash hell on his ass! Mom, you know more about the last fight the guild had with Zero, try to figure out a way for us to take him down once and for all!", Cobra yelled from his position across the room. He returned his focus back to the battle that ensued once he heard their grunts of agreement.

* * *

Lucy tried as best she could to ignore the sounds of fighting that seemed to echo around the destroyed building they were currently fighting in as she wracked her brain for ideas. She tried to remember everything that she could about Natsu's fight against the former Master of the Oracion Seis. The pink haired Slayer had told the entire guild about his fight with Zero and her mind had chosen now of all times to forget everything that he had told the guild.

The blonde woman bit back and screech of surprise when she felt a hand close around her arm and haul her away from a blast of magic that had come dangerously close to hitting her. She looked up at Midnight gratefully and only received a nod in return as the Illusionist turned his attention back to the battle that was raging less than twenty feet away from them. She noticed offhandedly that the boys had herded Zero outside of the rubble and were currently fighting him in the backyard of the estate. She mentally thanked the gods that they hadn't moved this fight to the street and hadn't put the innocent townsfolk in any danger.

For the moment, at least.

"I know that you're trying to figure out what the hell we can do to take him down, but could you maybe hurry up a little? There may be three of them out there, but they can't keep this up forever.", Midnight requested, his eyes solely focused on the battle outside. He wanted nothing more than to jump into the fray and lend a hand, but he knew that Lucy was more than likely their only real chance of taking Zero out for good.

She had actually fought the man with her former team and had once been best friends with the man that had ultimately defeated the insane man that was currently holding his own against three Dragon Slayers.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking. My own fight with Zero is a little bit hazy, I hit my head pretty damn hard against the flooring of Nirvana. I know that Natsu told us all every detail of his fight with Zero but there's one key factor that I can't seem to recall.", the blonde grunted.

"Think carefully, recount every detail that he told you. Maybe something will come to you that can help us. They can't keep this up forever and I don't think Cobra is used to fighting with our current bodies. He's slowing down and is having trouble dodging the attacks that our thrown his way. His Soul Listening Magic can only help him so much when he's getting tired.", the red eyed boy replied with a sigh.

"Worth a shot, I suppose. Keep a close eye on Cobra. If you think he's about to start putting himself in danger, pull his ass out of there. No sense in him getting himself hurt worse if we can help it.", Lucy ordered sternly.

"Way ahead of you. If all else fails, I'll stick him on guard duty and take his spot.", Midnight agreed.

Lucy nodded in acceptance and allowed her brain to run wild. She recalled everything about the first battle they'd had with Master Zero and crossed out everything that she didn't find useful, which sadly, was most of the fight. Next, she switched gears and recounted everything that Natsu had told them about his one on one fight with Zero. She began to piece together a mental image and walked herself through the information. Her mind went blank and it was almost as if a movie clip began to play within the confines of her mind.

* * *

 _Lucy stood in a stark white room, no sounds were heard aside from her own breathing. She could not hear the sounds of the battle that raged forth mere feet away from her._

 _A screen that reminded her faintly of the screen they used during the Grand Magic games that were used to track down the guild member on the final day appeared across the room. She watched the screen with a curious look and waited for the clip to play._

 _She watched with rapt attention as an image of Natsu stumbling into Lacrima Room One, his clothing bloody and torn, one his boots missing, and his eyes lit with savage determination. She watched as her former partner sized up Master Zero as he stood a few feet away from the pink haired male, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared arrogantly at the Dragon Slayer._

 _She watched as Natsu charged at the man, his fists alight with flames and poised to strike. She wanted nothing more than to reach into the screen her mind had conjured up and rip the pink haired male out of the memory. She flinched as she watched Natsu being thrown across the room like a rag doll and watched as he slowly pulled himself from the rubble and stared Zero down with defiance._

 _Lucy watched as they traded blows back and forth, soaking up every piece of information that she could. So far, she hadn't seen anything that would be helpful toward the battle that her boys were currently in and was forced to continue watching the memory. Her eyes widened when she saw Jellal stumble into the room and smirk cruelly at the battle that was unfolding near Lacrima Number One._

 _"It would seem that you have regained all of your memories, Jellal?", Zero asked the tattooed man with an arrogant smirk._

 _"It would seem so.", the blue haired man all but shrugged in return before unleashing a powerful fire attack upon Natsu's person._

 _Natsu raised an amused brow at the fact that Jellal had used a spell that would do him no harm at him. He easily swallowed the flames and let out a small sigh of relief at the familiar fire returning to his belly._

 _"Apparently not all of your memories, you forgot that fire attacks don't work on me.", Natsu scoffed._

 _Lucy had no doubt that the reckless Dragon Slayer would have been more than happy for a round two against the Heavenly Body Mage._

 _"My memories have returned, but only the memories of you, Natsu Dragneel.", Jellal admitted._

 _Lucy absently noted that Master Zero looked furious at the blue haired mans confession._

 _"If you cannot remember your purpose, then I have no choice but to force you to remember!", Zero roared before launching an attack at Natsu in his anger._

 _Before Natsu could react to the attack, a solid body stepped in front of his own and took the attack head on, shielding his body from harm. The pink haired man watched with wide eyes as Jellal's body dropped like a sack of potatoes in front of him._

 _"Why, Jellal?! Why would you do that?!", Natsu demanded as he shifted his body closer to the blue haired man._

 _"I may not be able to remember everything from my past or the horrors that I have brought to so many people, but I hope that in some way, this may help me atone for my actions.", Jellal whispered with a sigh._

 _"If you really want to atone for the shit that you did in the past, then you need to live and face the things you've done! I won't allow you to die here!", Natsu snapped in return._

 _"I assure you, I have no intentions of dying in this horrid place. I will atone for what I have done, but first, you must take down Master Zero and that Lacrima. I hope that this will be enough to help you get the job done.", Jellal murmured as he held up his hand, a golden flame shining brightly in his palm._

 _Natsu watched the flame flicked brightly in the blue haired males hand with awe. Never before in his life had he seem such beautifu flame. He slowly reached for the golden flame and watched with surprise as the brilliant flame crawled across his skin, slowly engulfing his body in its wondrous light. He inhaled the flames greedily and felt his body awaken with newfound strength._

 _"Win this not only for your guild, but for all of those who have put their faith in you. Do not let us down.", Jellal whispered, his voice pleading._

 _Natsu watched as Jellal's eyes slowly closed, his consciousness leaving him. He turned away from the fallen male and returned his attention to the man he was ready to fight to the bitter end. He stood from his crouch and faced Master Zero, his features etched with determination and resolve._

 _"Well, isn't this just touching. I should have known better than to place such faith in a man who was taken down so easily in the past.", Zero scoffed in disgust._

 _"I pity you for the fact that you have no idea what it feels like to have people depend on you. That you don't have a family that loves you and needs you. You kidnapped Wendy and Happy. You hurt Lucy, Gray, and Happy. You guild poisoned Erza. You shot down the Christina. You tried to kill everyone in Wendy's guild. You harmed my friends. You tried to kill almost all of them at least once. Harming the people I care about was the biggest mistake of your life, buddy.", Natsu snarled, his entire body lighting up with the golden brilliance that the flame Jellal had gifted him with._

 _"Is that supposed to make me feel bad about what I've done?", Master Zero snorted._

 _"You're beyond insane, you'll never feel any grief for the pain you have caused. But that all stops now!", Natsu roared before launching himseld at the white haired man._

 _Lucy's eyes widened in recognition as she watched scales appear underneath her former partners eyes. She watched as his fangs grew in length and became sharper._

 _In that moment, Lucy knew exactly how they were going to win this battle._

* * *

Lucy let out a startled gasp as she felt herself being ripped away from her memories and looked up at Midnight with wide eyes.

"Please tell me you've figured out what we need to do.", He all but begged the blonde woman at his side.

"I know exactly what we need to do, but I don't know if the boys will have enough energy to pull it off.", she nodded.

"Well, let's hear it. If there's anything we both know about Dragon Slayers, it's that they don't know when to give up the fight.", Midnight smirked in return.

"Can't say I disagree with that.", Lucy agreed easily.

"What's the plan, mom?", Midnight grinned savagely.

"We need the boys to go into Dragon Force and fucking unload on him. They need to take him on when they are at their most powerful. I know that Sting and Rogue are able to meld their magic together and create a Unison Raid. If we are lucky, Cobra will be able to meld his magic in with their's. I have no doubt that if they're able to hit him with a Unison Raid made up of all three of their magic's, Zero won't stand a chance. You and I will have to distract him while they get their attack ready.", Lucy explained quickly.

"You know, that's almost crazy enough to work. We just need to get this plan over to the others.", Midnight muttered. He had no idea if Sting, Rogue, or even Cobra were close enough to hear Lucy's plan from the distance away that they were. Hell, he didn't even know if Cobra would be able to hear his thoughts from this distance.

"I hear you loud and clear, Midnight!", Cobra yelled from across the field.

"How about you, Rogue? Sting? Either of you catch any of that?", Lucy called out from her and Midnight's position.

"Loud and clear!", Sting cackled as he landed a particularly hard punch to Zero's back.

"We are ready to proceed once you and Midnight are ready to begin!", Rogue shouted as he sidestepped away from a blast of Zero's magic.

"Good, they can hear us even at this distance. We won't need to send them a sign or yell at them when we're ready.", Midnight sighed in relief.

"Agreed, shall we begin?", Lucy grinned, her eyes hardening with determination. They could not allow themselves to fall here. Failure was not an option.

They had one chance and if they messed up even a little bit, it could be the end of them.

"I'll cover you while you get yourself centered and ready. Rogue, Sting, Cobra, Lucy's preparing the first strike. Get out of the blast radius.", the red eyes boy ordered just loud enough for the Dragon Slayer's enhanced hearing to pick up. He let out a small sigh of relief when he saw the three Slayer's nod in understanding before they launched themselves out of Lucy's way.

Once she was completely sure that her attack would not harm any of her boys, Lucy locked her eyes on her target. A frown marred her normally angelic features before she took a deep, steady breath. She extended her arms out to her sides and began to chant the words that were forever ingrained in her mind.

* * *

 **Like I stated at the top, it's a little shorter than usual, sorry about that. This chapter gave me a little bit of trouble and just wouldn't work with me. But, somehow, I finally finished it. My muse left me for a little while there and real life was stressing me out. My hope is that my mind will straighten its shit out so I can continue providing you guys with updates!**

 **Hopefully the next update won't take me as long!**

 **Keep in mind that this story does NOT have a beta so please excuse any errors that I may have missed during my editing. Once this story is finally complete I plan on going back and editing the chapters again to make sure that all the errors I may have missed get corrected.**

 **Things are finally starting to heat up!**

 **Will Lucy's plan work and be able to take down Zero once and for all?**

 **Will Zero have the answers that Lucy and her boys seek?**

 **Just what kind of mission did Makarov send Natsu on before Lucy and the gang left for their mission?**

 **Will Rogue and Lucy actually get to go on that date when they get home?!**

 **How is Midnight going to react once the battle is over and he's able to truly embrace the fact that his memories have returned?**

 **You want some answers? I guess you'll just have to stick around and see for yourself in the updates to come!**

 **My dear friend, Orangana was right, I sound like a fucking narrator. If that's the case, I demand that you pretend that my voice sounds exactly like James Earl Jones.**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'd like to start off by saying thank you to everybody who has taken the time to not only read this story, but those who have taken the time out of their days to leave me feedback. When I first started this story, I didn't expect it do get a whole lot of attention, honestly. Whether it got ten followers or a hundred, I would have continued it. But knowing that more than one hundred people follow this story and more than eighty people have favorited this story warms my heart. Not to mention that we are close to closing in on the one hundred review mark, it's truly a blessing. Especially since this story is only about a month old. Thank you all again for such wonderful comments on this story and sticking around to find out what happens next.**

 **Sadly, this will probably be the last chapter I post before Christmas. Maybe if we're lucky, I'll be able to pump out one more, but I guess we'll have to see what happens! Anyways, sorry about the wait for this chapter and all that fun stuff.**

 **Also! Important question for you guys at the bottom so make sure you take a gander at the note at the bottom!**

 **I truly hope that you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Anyway, I'll stop blubbering. :)**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story.**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper.**

* * *

Previously;

 _They had one chance and if they messed up even a little bit, it could be the end of them._

 _"I'll cover you while you get yourself centered and ready. Rogue, Sting, Cobra, Lucy's preparing the first strike. Get out of the blast radius.", the red eyes boy ordered just loud enough for the Dragon Slayer's enhanced hearing to pick up. He let out a small sigh of relief when he saw the three Slayer's nod in understanding before they launched themselves out of Lucy's way._

 _Once she was completely sure that her attack would not harm any of her boys, Lucy locked her eyes on her target. A frown marred her normally angelic features before she took a deep, steady breath. She extended her arms out to her sides and began to chant the words that were forever ingrained in her mind._

* * *

 _" **Survey The Heavens, Open The Heavens**_

 _ **All The Stars, Far, and Wide**_

 _ **Show Me Thy Appearance**_

 _ **With Such Shine, Oh Tetrabiblos**_

 _ **I Am The Ruler Of The Stars**_

 _ **Aspect Become Complete**_

 _ **Open Thy Malevolent Gate**_

 _ **Oh, Eighty Eight Stars Of The Heavens**_

 _ **Shine!**_

Lucy's normally deep, chocolate colored eyes glowed with an eerie golden color as the chant passed through her lips. An array of color surrounded her very being as a total of eighty eight glowing orbs of magical energy surrounded her body, each one of them branded with the symbol that defined the constellation that they represented. She felt a major drop in her magical energy as the stars from the heavens swirled around her body like a magical, astrological typhoon of raw power. She only had one shot at this, her body would most likely fail her after she finished her spell, but it would be worth it if her attack met with Zero's flesh.

"Do it, Lucy! Do it now!", Rogue shouted as his body began to shift into his Dragon Force. His normally tamed, dark tresses began to spike out as his magic engulfed his being. Black tattoo like markings adored his jaw, his canine teeth elongating with his transformation. The shadows of the trees and buildings around them began to slowly slither towards his form, almost as if his body subconsciously beckoned them to his form.

"Show him the real reason they call you the Light of Fairy Tail, Sis!", Sting's voice rang out from across the clearing.

Sting watched with rapt attention as stars straight from the Heavens above swirled around the blonde woman that he considered his sisters. His eyes widened in awe at the sheer amount of power that seemed to swirl angrily around her. He'd never seen her actually cast the spell, as it had failed during the Grand Magic Games, but he had heard the tales of the unbelievable power that this spell emitted. He could barely comprehend the fact that Lucy had the power to cast such a powerful spell. Now wanting her efforts to go to waste, he allowed his body to shift into his Dragon Force.

The blonde Slayer's spiky, blonde hair became an even more wold mass of spikes as his magic swirled outwards out of his body. Stark white markings similar to the ones adorning Rogue's face appeared on his on face. He could feel his own magical energy swirling around his body as he changed. He felt his canine teeth extend due to his change and could feel the power of the suns holy rays warming his skin. It was almost as if the sun and heavens themselves were blessing him with their power. He would not fail once Lucy's spell hit its mark.

"Show them the true power that lies within the Heavens, mom!", Cobra roared as a veil of poison engulfed his tiny body. The sleeves of his shirt instantly melted from the toxins that his scales were emitting. His advanced hearing could pick up the melodic singing that was coming from deep within the souls of the stars that surrounded Lucy's form. Never before in his life had he seen or heard something so beautifully jaw dropping. He let a feral grin make its way onto his lips as he watched his mother lift her arms to the Heaven's, signaling the final step to her spell.

"Show them why nobody should ever mess with our guild!", Midnight cried out, his crimson eyes hardening with determination. While Lucy had been chanting her spell, he had been focusing as much of his magical energy into his hands as he could. The eerie black and green magic swirled violently in his hands as he continued to pump more and more magic into his hands. He couldn't think of a more fitting attack to shoot towards the man who had once claimed to be his father. Hitting Zero his his own form of magic would give him nothing but a sadistic kind of pleasure.

Lucy looked up and locked her eyes with Zero, her eyes flashing dangerously at the man before her voice rang out across the wreckage.

" **URANO METRIA!"** , she roared before throwing her arms forward, unleashing the powerful spell that she'd been holding. The calls from her family had somehow managed to give her spell a boost in power. She had no doubt that their loyalty, determination, and love were what powered her spell up. They had given her hope.

They had given her the strength to keep standing.

She would see this through to the bitter end, she would not fall.

* * *

A flurry of raw power engulfed the battle field as Lucy's spell was unleashed upon Zero. Her mark hit true and the full power of the Heaven's came raining down upon Zero's person. As each star made contact with his body, he was thrust in the opposite direction, only to be struck again and again by the stars. The stars left behind burning scorch marks in their wake before they returned to the Heaven's above.

Once every last star, all eighty eight of them, hit their mark, Zero dropped to the ground in a heap. Slowly, the white haired man struggled to regain his footing. His clothing was torn almost to shreds, the bare remnants of his clothing clung to his body by threads. Once he had finally managed to regain his balance, although he was barely managing to stay upright, another voice rang out from across the makeshift battle field.

"Dark Rondo: Banishing Typhoon!", Midnight bellowed before unleashing to whirlwind of magical power he'd gathered in his hands. The blast of magic swirled dangerously as it made it way towards its intended target at breakneck speed. Midnight's breaths came out in short puffs of air as he felt the drop in his magic but couldn't help the smirk of victory that graced his lips when his attack made contact with Zero's already weakened body. Things were going exactly as they had planned and hopefully they would continue to work out the way they needed them to.

Zero's already battered body took the full power of Midnight's strike, the blast coming in contact with the middle of his back. The party of five mages watched as the insane man's spine cracked in an unnatural manner but they couldn't afford to stop now, nor could any of them to pity the man even a little bit. All of them were well aware that Fairy Tail mages did not commit murder, nor did they condone it. But this man was someone who truly did not deserve the gift of life. They would face whatever consequences came along with their actions when the time finally came.

For now, they would focus on staying alive and seeing this fight to the bitter end. Even if the only heart that would cease beating today would be Zero's. His death would bring nothing but peace to the minds of every person that he'd ever harmed in his life.

Maybe even grant Midnight and Cobra a little bit of peace.

"Alright boys, final phase of the plan! You three can't afford to hold back! Show them the true power of the dragon the lays dormant within your very souls!", Lucy shouted towards the three Dragon Slayers before her knees finally gave out and she fell to her knees in exhaustion. She heard a small body land next to her and saw that Midnight was just as drained as she was. She lifted the small boy into her arms and cradled his tired body against her own, offering what little comfort that she could.

"Well, you heard the lady. Let's get him, guys!", Sting cackled before he focused as much magical energy into his throat as he could.

They had one shot at this. They would not fail. The blonde Slayer looked at his fellow Dragon Slayers from the corner of his eye and was relieved when he saw them copying his actions. Cobra had silently stalked his way over to his right and Rogue stood proudly on the other side of the boy. With their torn clothing and dwindling magical energy, he could only guess that they looked like they'd just fought a war.

He silently asked if his fellow Slayers were ready for the final blow and received stern nods in return. Once he had their confirmation, he turned his attention back to the broken and battered body of Master Zero and his blue eyes hardened with determination.

They were ready.

"White Dragons Roar!"

"Shadow Dragons Roar!"

"Poison Dragons Roar!"

The three attacks rang out at the same time and with them, a roar worthy only to a dragon expelled from each of the male's lips. Almost as if it was completely natural, Sting and Rogue's roars slowly started to make their way towards each other, only to be separated by Cobra's own roar. The three typhoons of magic slowly began to merge with each other as they sailed through the remainder of the house and towards its intended target. After a few moments, the three roars merged and became one. Black and white magical energy merged with deep purple and blended together in what could be considered the most beautiful Unison Raid that Lucy had ever seen in her life.

Zero tried to evade the deadly amount of magic that was sent careening towards him, but his injuries wouldn't allow him to take more than a single step before his body would threaten to collapse underneath him. He was forced to either stand and face the magic head on or drop to the ground in hopes that the burst of magic wold miss him completely. While Zero may have been a sadistic man who lacked a conscious and morals, he was not inept. He knew that there was no way that he would be able to dodge the roar that Rogue, Sting, and Cobra had blasted in his direction.

The magical blast hit the former Oracion Seis Master with unyielding power. As the blast made contact with the man's chest, a small explosion erupted, causing the white haired man to become air born. He flew back a few feet and landed roughly on his back, small wisps of smoke trailed upwards away from his body. Rogue slowly started to walk towards the scorched and battered body of Zero, his senses focusing solely on the man in case he decided to try to pull something while he was down.

When the dark haired Slayer reached Zero's half dead form, he couldn't hold back his sneer of disgust. He was against murder of all types, but he wanted nothing more than to end the man at his feet's worthless existence. The man laying motionless on the ground before him had caused the people he cared about nothing but grief and pain. When Lucy had laid out her plan to them, they knew full well that there was a chance that Zero would not survive the impact. But then again, they'd thought he'd been killed once. It seemed that Zero had a problem with staying dead.

"Have you come to finish the job, worthless fairy scum?", Zero wheezed with a sneer.

Rogue couldn't help but raise an impressed eyebrow, somehow Zero had actually managed to stay conscious after the blows that he had taken.

"No, actually. I actually have morals and I'm not a murderer like you. I am, however, going to force you to tell us everything you know about Cobra and Midnight's current situation.", Rogue scoffed with a roll of his crimson eyes.

He heard Sting and Cobra's footfalls as they slowly made their way towards his position in front of Zero. He took a moment to steal a glance over at Lucy and Midnight's position. Both of them were worn and tired, the cut on Lucy's arm still steadily bleeding as she held Midnight's sleeping form. He wasn't surprised that the Reflector Mage was passed out, using the sheer amount of magic that he'd used was bound to put him on the ground for a while. Rogue was actually quite surprised that Cobra was still standing, even if he was quite unsteady on his feet.

"What makes you think I know anything about their pathetic situation? They were nothing but tools for me to use as I pleased, what makes you think that I would go out of my way to give them a second chance at life?", the white haired man snapped in annoyance before letting out a ragged couch, a small trickle of blood trailing down his chin.

"Because you weren't even surprised in the least when you saw them in their current states.", Sting growled as he stood next to his dark haired partner.

"That doesn't mean a damn thing and you know it.", Zero retorted in return.

"Quit wasting our fucking time, you old bastard. I know for a fucking fact that you know something and unless you want me to sort through your soul in the most painful way possible, you'll tell us what we want to know.", Cobra snarled. It took every ounce of his will not to snort when he heard Lucy muttered something about washing his dirty little mouth out with soap when they got home. They were in the middle of a goddamn battle and she was still worried about his vulgar language!

Zero's sigh of defeat was so quiet that the Dragon Slayers almost didn't hear it.

"The answer is simple and I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out. I don't know who cast that spell on either of you or why. But I can tell you one thing, you'll find the answers you seek when the time is right. I'm aware that I'm a horrible human being and that I have no right to stay in this realm of the living. I fully intend to die here and have accepted that that is exactly what is going to happen. If you truly wish to find answers, look to the one in black whose hair is white as fresh fallen snow. You'll find your answers in the eyes filled with violet rage.", Zero grunted out before he fell into another coughing fit, his blood staining the grass once more.

"The one in black whose hair is white as fresh fallen snow? We'll find our answers in the eyes filled with violet rage?", Cobra muttered quietly as he wracked his brain, trying to make sense of the riddle like explanation that he'd been given. He swore that he'd heard something similar in the past, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"There's seriously nothing else you can tell us?", Sting groaned. The blonde Slayer had never been any good at solving riddles and this one made absolutely no sense to him.

"If I had all the answers, would this little game truly have any meaning?", Zero questioned with a snort.

"Don't get cocky now, Zero. Your involvement in this little game ended up costing you your life.", Rogue pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"I never would have guessed that, brat. Thank you for pointing out such an idiotic statement. I knew full well that I would lose my life here and went with it anyways. I've had enough of the bullshit in this life.", Zero snorted weakly before his eyes closed, for good this time.

Rogue reached down slowly and rested his fingers on Zero's pulse point, frowning slightly when he didn't find one present. They had gotten the answers that they'd been seeking, yes. Sort of. The answers they had gotten were in the form of a riddle that they had no inkling on how to solve, but it was something nonetheless. Yes, they had answers. But at what cost?

Just how many lives would be lost in their quest to figure out the mysterious situation that Midnight and Cobra had found themselves in?

"Don't worry too much over it right now, Rogue. Right now we need to focus on calling the Rune Knights to remove the body and getting Mom's arm looked at. We can worry about all the other bullshit once we get home. I don't know about you, but I could go for a nap, a shower, and, for some reason, apple pie.", Cobra sighed.

"I really do hope that you plan on bathing before you curl up on a bed, you stink.", Sting snorted, pinching his nose closed for good measure.

"You don't smell so wonderful yourself, Blondie.", Cobra snorted.

"If you two are quite finished, we need to be going. It looks like Lucy has contacted the Rune Knights already and they are on their way.", Rogue suggested with a roll of his eyes.

"Thank God, I wanna get out of this rubble.", Sting grumbled.

"Quit your bitching, Bumble Booty!", Lucy yelled from her spot across the rubble.

"Language, mother!", Cobra yelled back.

"Quit your bitching, Lucy!", Sting mocked in response.

"You wanna die, Sting?!", Lucy snapped.

"Shutting up now."

"Idiots...", Rogue muttered, earning himself the middle finger from both Cobra and Sting.

* * *

Once they had returned to the inn and after a rather irritating call to the Master explaining a small part of their mission to him, Lucy curled up on the crisp sheets of her bed. Master had been furious when he'd found out that the job that they'd taken was a trap and that they had faced off with Master Zero. He could tell that all of his children were exhausted and hadn't pushed for too many details, thankfully. He had, however, made Lucy promise to tell him everything that had transpired when they returned to the guild the next day. The blonde mage had easily agreed to do such, she'd been planning on doing that anyways.

After they had returned to the inn, Midnight had woken up shortly after, much to Lucy's eternal relief. When she'd watched her youngest son collapse from exhaustion, she had been horribly worried about him. She knew that the attack he had used had used up almost every ounce of magic he had packed away in his tiny body. She wanted nothing more than to scold him for being so reckless, but refrained from doing so. She had no right to scold him for venting off the pent up anger he'd been holding onto because of Zero.

The man had molded him and Cobra into nothing more than tools and fed them nothing but lies after taking them away from the tower. Lucy could only hope that now that he was gone that they would finally be able to let that chapter of their former lives go. She knew that they would never truly be able to move on completely, but she hoped that they would be able to take a step in the right direction.

After Midnight had woken up from his slumber, Lucy had all but pushed the filthy boy into the bathroom, demanding that he took a shower before he ate something. When they'd all arrived back to the inn, the fight for the bathroom had almost turned into an all out brawl. They were all bloody, dirt crusted, and covered in sweat. They had agreed to let Lucy use the shower first after a few minutes of arguing after they'd remembered that she was the only one bleeding and that they blood that soaked their clothing wasn't from their bodies.

And so, after the five of them had showered and filled their bellies with a much needed meal, the group of five had all but collapsed on the plush beds that the inn offered. They knew that they had two rooms at their disposal, but had decided that they all didn't really feel like being separated from each other. At one point during the battle, they had all feared that they wouldn't all make it out alive. They all wanted to take comfort in the fact that all of them were still there and that nobody had been left behind.

The feeling of love and true familial bond was a completely new sensation for both Rogue and Sting. During their days in Saber Tooth, they'd been expected to finish the job and nothing more. If someone fell in battle or during a mission, they were scorned and their names became nothing but a disgrace. But in Fairy Tail, they were a true family. If one of them had lost their lives during their fight with Zero, the entire guild would have mourned their loss. People would have actually cried for them.

People would have actually missed them.

It was just so different for them and they would have been lying if they said they didn't like the warmth that was seeping into their hearts.

When they'd joined Fairy Tail, they never expected to actually find people that they cared for more than themselves. For most of their lives, they'd only had each other. Now, they had an entire guild backing them up. Now they had a light in their life. That light taking the form of a certain blonde haired, brown eyed woman with a killer roundhouse kick. Not only that, but they had two men turned small boys that enjoyed their company.

While their situation was certainly different, the Twin Slayers wouldn't have asked for a better way to start their own second chance at life.

Sting had only been with the guild for a short time, but he found the easy going nature of the guild was something he could see himself growing to love. While he knew that the guild still had their issues and probably held some grudges against him and his partner, he knew that they would eventually find it in their hearts to forgive him and Rogue. Never in his life had he been accepted by anyone so quickly as he had been with Lucy. She had welcomed himself and the former members of Saber Tooth with open arms. She didn't hold anything against them at all and had offered them nothing but her love and acceptance.

A concept that was completely new to himself and the rest of the Saber Tooth mages.

For Rogue, he still couldn't believe the feelings that were swarming in his chest. He'd never felt so content in his life as he did now. Curled around Lucy and her boys as they flanked her sides, Sting curled up on the other side of the bed with them. If anyone had ever told him that he would ever meet such an incredible woman in his lifetime, he probably would have laughed in their faces. But now, he wouldn't have it any other way. Lucy had accepted him for who he was and accepted the demons that haunted his very soul. She took the good with the bad and didn't judge them for their past crimes.

Nor did she judge them for any of their past cruelty dealt to her and Fairy Tail by his own former guild. Like Sting and the others, she had welcomed them with open arms and had accepted them with ease. The thing that warmed his chest the most though was the fact that he had been able to attract the affections of such an amazing woman. She not only viewed him as her friend, but as someone she wanted to get to know on a more personal level.

She had become someone precious to him.

She had become someone that he could easily see spending the rest of his life with, if she would have him.

He had found someone that he wouldn't mind loving until his dying breath.

With those thoughts and feelings flowing through their minds, Sting and Rogue shot each other a small smile from their positions on the large bed that all five of them had curled up on.

"Never did I think that we would find such an awesome family to call our own.", Sting whispered with a faint smile.

"You aren't the only one. This is only the beginning though. The feelings that we harbor deep within our hearts are only beginning to blossom. Our adventure has only just begun. Tomorrow is a new day and with a new day brings a whole new adventure.", Rogue agreed with a small, happy sigh.

"Agreed. We still have to convince Natsu that Cobra and Midnight aren't who they used to be. Plus, we have to find the true reason behind their transformations. We're in for a wild ride aren't we, partner.", the blonde smirked in response.

"I wouldn't have it any other way.", the dark haired Slayer smirked.

"Couldn't agree more."

The partners shared a nod of agreement before lowering themselves back onto the mattress.

They were both entering the land of dreams within minutes of their heads hitting the pillow.

What they didn't notice though, was the single tear that trailed down Lucy's cheek at their admissions to each other.

She really couldn't have asked for better people to share her life with.

* * *

 **And that's it for chapter nine! Was it worth the wait or have I disappointed the masses? Let me know :)**

 **This story does not have a beta, so I'm sorry for any mistakes that I may have missed during my editing!**

 **IMPORTANT QUESTION!**

 **Do you guys prefer the longer chapters or the shorter 4-5k chapters like this one and the last chapter? Which would you prefer? Shorter chapters would make for faster updates, but longer ones would be, well, longer? I dunno. Let me know what you guess are thinking. I'm more than happy to adjust.**

 **Oh damn! We got a few answers, sort of!**

 **Just who is the person that Zero described?**

 **What do they have to do with Midnight and Cobra?!**

 **Is Zero truly dead?**

 **Will Rogue finally get his date?!**

 **Will Midnight find peace with Zero out of his life?**

 **How will he react to his regained memories once they return home!?**

 **Is Natsu done being an asshat?**

 **Guess you'll just have to find out in the next couple of chapters. :)**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

 **If I don't see you guys before Christmas, HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Whoop! It's Chapter Ten time, baby! Or should I say Ebi since we're reading Fairy Tail right now? Who the hell knows.**

 **I'm sooooo sorry that this took so long to get out! It's been quite the hectic week, I'll tell you what.**

 **I hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas! Mine was literally drama filled and I'm happier than shit that it's over. I can't have a drama free holiday, I think I may be cursed. That being said, I really hope you guys had a better holiday than I did, lol.**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters! Just the plot to this story!**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper!**

* * *

Previously;

 _"Agreed. We still have to convince Natsu that Cobra and Midnight aren't who they used to be. Plus, we have to find the true reason behind their transformations. We're in for a wild ride aren't we, partner.", the blonde smirked in response._

 _"I wouldn't have it any other way.", the dark haired Slayer smirked._

 _"Couldn't agree more."_

 _The partners shared a nod of agreement before lowering themselves back onto the mattress._

 _They were both entering the land of dreams within minutes of their heads hitting the pillow._

 _What they didn't notice though, was the single tear that trailed down Lucy's cheek at their admissions to each other._

 _She really couldn't have asked for better people to share her life with._

* * *

After a long and admittedly painful train ride, the group of five had finally arrived back in Magnolia. While Lucy and Midnight didn't suffer from motion sickness, they'd never been more happy to be back on solid ground. The train ride back to town had almost been worse than the trip they had taken to get to Basil. On the train, the three stubborn Dragon Slayers had refused to be knocked out again and had been taking turned emptying their stomachs out the single window in their train cabin.

Needless to say, the ride back to Magnolia was torture and Lucy and Midnight were probably more happy than they Slayers to be home.

Once they had all of their bags arranged and in hand, the group of five set out in the direction of their home to put everything away. The blonde woman was aware that Mater wanted to talk to her about their mission as soon as possible but she wanted to wash to stink of Dragon vomit from her person before she did anything else. Unpacking her bags could wait until she and the other's got back from the guild. For now, she had a shower that was practically calling her name at home.

They walked mostly in silence as they walked through the familiar streets of town. The townspeople waved at them and welcomed them home as they passed by, which was another new experience for the Twin Dragons. They were used to being feared by the townspeople, not welcomed back with open arms. But both of them supposed that a warm welcome was better that looks of fear and caution. These people were actually happy to see them come home. Sting and Rogue easily decided that they liked it better this way.

"So, what do you think Master is going to think about what happened during our mission once we go to the guild and talk to him?", Midnight asked, breaking he easy silence that had been surrounding them since they left the train station.

The young man didn't mind the silence much, but he couldn't help but be curious. With all the thoughts and memories that were now swarming through his mind, he needed a bit of a distraction until he had the chance to sit down and talk to Lucy and Cobra about what had happened in the past. From what he was seeing in his own memories, he had been a terrible human being in the past. But while having his memories back was great and he didn't feel like he was being left in the dark anymore, he didn't truly understand a lot of what had happened in the past. He couldn't decide if maybe he was still missing some of his memories or if it was something deeper than that. He'd have to talk to Cobra and Lucy as soon as he could get them alone long enough to do so.

"Honestly, I have no idea what he's going to say. From the small part that I told him yesterday, he's pissed. I know that he'd upset that we were ambushed by someone we were convinced was dead, but I know that he's relieved that we made it out okay. I think he just wants to know all the details about what happened.", Lucy replied with a shrug.

In truth, she had no idea how the Master was going to react once she told him everything that had happened. From the job being a set up, to Zero's appearance, to his startling change of heart. And the riddle, what would he say about the strange riddle that he had recited to them before he had died.

"Are you going to tell him about the riddle that we were given?", Rogue asked softly, his red eyes gazing at the woman next to him.

"I honestly don't know. I think we should since we don't have any idea what it could mean. I mean, obviously the riddle is telling us to seek a person out, but that's about as far as it goes. None of the characteristics that were given to us resemble anyone I've ever heard of.", Lucy sighed.

"Maybe asking the old man about the riddle would be a good idea. He's like, a million years old. I'm sure if anyone has any clues, it would be him.", Sting shrugged.

Lucy hated to admit, the blonde Slayer had a good point. The Master had been around for a long time. If anyone would have any ideas as to what the riddle was trying to tell them, it would probably be him. Or the Master of Lamia Scale, but nobody really felt like being spun. The blonde woman had been spun by that crazy old bat once before and it wasn't an experience that she wanted to repeat ever again. Never again would she scoff at the terrified look on the Lamia Scale mages faces when their crazy Guild Master threatened to spin them. Lucy actually shuddered at the memory.

"Why the hell are you shuddering? It isn't that damn cold out here.", Cobra grumbled, not really paying attention to the conversation between Lucy and the others.

The maroon haired boy's thoughts were consumed with the battle that they'd just had and wondered if there was some hidden meaning to the fight. The mission that they had taken could have been taken by anybody. Would Zero have attacked any of the other guild members if they had been the ones to take the job? Cobra highly doubted it. From what it looked like when they had arrived at the job site, it was almost as if they had been waiting for them to arrive. He would have to look into this some more when he had a chance.

For now, he was more concerned with talking to the Master and helping Midnight with his internal struggles. The duel-tone haired boy had always been a lot more sensitive than he had ever been and his memories returning to him were causing him to have a mental war with himself. If Midnight's thoughts were any indication, he knew that he needed to sit down with his brother as soon as he could to help straighten out his thoughts and feelings. He knew that Midnight was probably tearing himself up inside as the memories of the past coursed through his mind. Their pasts weren't something that was easy to relive and Cobra knew that Midnight was going to struggle with accepting what they had done a lot more than he was.

"I just had a creepy thought about something that happened in the past, nothing you need to worry about. But I agree with Sting, telling Master about the riddle is probably a good thing. I don't think he would like it too much if we didn't tell him about it and he found out about it later, you know? He's trusting us to tell him about everything that happened during our job and I don't want to ruin the trust he's put in us.", Lucy explained with a shrug.

"Well, now that that's settled, why don't we hurry up and get our bags home to we can get to the guild and get this over with?", Rogue suggested, his eyes never once leaving Lucy's face. Hopefully once they were done with the Master, he and Lucy would finally be able to go on that date. He knew that they had agreed to go out after they returned from their job, but he just couldn't wait to get some real alone time with the woman who had all but stolen his heart.

Rogue was a patient man, but right now, he wanted to spend some time alone with Lucy. And he wanted to do it now.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, but before we leave for the guild, I'm showering. I smell like Dragon barf.", Lucy snorted.

Rogue, Sting, and Cobra at least had the decency to look guilty. Midnight looked smug at their response. In truth, he wanted a shower too. If he could smell himself, he didn't even want to know how badly he stunk to the rest of the world. Nothing was more disgusting than smelling like the expelled contents of three Dragon Slayer's stomachs.

"Right, we all shower we will head to the guild.", Rogue agreed, a pink tint adorning his cheeks. He had a feeling that she wasn't going to let him or the other's live down their moment of weakness anytime soon. Although he supposed they kind of deserved it, they'd all almost thrown up in her lap at least once, which was something he would forever be ashamed of. How could he be so physically strong until he set foot on something but the ground?!

"I'm glad we understand each other.", Lucy smirked before the group fell into comfortable silence once again.

* * *

About an hour or so later, the group of five finally reached the guild. It had taken more time than they had hoped for all of them to shower and redress for the short walk to the guild. During the short time that they had been in Lucy's home, two fights over the shower had broken out between the four males. They had let Lucy's use the shower first since in was her home. Plus she'd threatened to Lucy Kick them back to Basil if they denied her her shower, but that was beside the point.

While Lucy understood their need to scrub the filth from their bodies, she was still half tempted to kick their asses straight back to Basil, but she had more important matters to take care of first.

Lucy braced herself for flying objects before slowly opening the guilds door, letting out a sigh of relief when she wasn't met with a flying table, chair, or random guild member. At least something was going great that day. The group of five were met was happy shouts welcoming them back and calls of congratulations towards the youngest members of their group for completing their first real mission in the guild.

Both boys would deny the fact that they'd blushed at the praise later that night.

"Cobra, why don't you go with Sting and Rogue to get something to eat while I go talk to Master. There's no reason for all five of us to crowd into his office.", Lucy suggested as they walked through the guild towards the bar.

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to go with you?", Rogue asked innocently.

"I'm sure, I know you want to go on that date so I'll make this as quick as possible. The day is still young, I'm sure there'll be time for us to go out once I'm done.", the blonde woman assured.

"If you're sure.", the dark haired Slayer sighed, completely ignoring the two sets of burning glares that were burning into the back of his head. He had no doubt in his mind that the glares were coming from the woman who held his affection's children. He adored those boys, but damn they were protective of their mother! They should know by now that he would never harm her!

"We're fully aware that you wouldn't hurt her intentionally, but that doesn't stop us from being worried about her. If you haven't noticed, our mother tends to attract dangerous situations.", Cobra snorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Agreed.", Midnight muttered under his breath, just loud enough for the Slayers in the room to hear.

"I'm staying out of this one, I don't feel like dealing with an eight year old's fists of fury", Sting stated with an innocent smile.

"What am I going to do with the four of you?", Lucy sighed and a small smile.

"I thought that was obvious, you're going to love us forever.", Sting huffed with a pout.

"You are such a child.", Rogue grunted.

"And you're a jealous brat!", Sting retorted.

As the Twin Dragon's fell into an argument that was painfully similar to Natsu and Gray's infamous fights, shitty insults and all, Lucy turned her attention towards her sons.

"It seems that you two will have to keep an eye on them. I don't know which set of children I worry about more, you two or the Twins.", Lucy giggled with a wink.

"I am not a child!", Rogue and Sting complained in unison, their faces paling when their words melded together. Moments later, the insults were being flung around once more.

With a roll of her eyes, the blonde woman planted kisses on each of her boys' heads before trailing off towards the stairs that led to the second floor of the building.

* * *

When Lucy reached the top of the stairs, she took a moment to look around the top floor of her beloved guild. She had been a member for three years already, if you didn't count the seven years that she and her friends had spent sleeping on the guilds sacred island. She couldn't believe how far she had come in her time in the guild. No longer was she looked at as the woman who used to be a rich heiress. No, now she was looked at as a powerful wizard that didn't take shit from anybody. She preferred it this way, after all.

She looked over the railing and gazed lovingly at her fellow guild members. She knew that they all had a long way to go before they were back to how they once were, but she was willing to wait and rebuild the relationships that had been lost over time. She truly did miss being able to walk through the guilds halls and strike up a conversation with everybody that she came across.

"You look like you're pretty lost in though there, Blondie.", a voice grunted beside her.

Lucy mentally shook her head of her thoughts and lifted her head to gaze at the person next to her. She was met with the clothed chest of Laxus. She craned her neck up higher and shot him a small smile when her eyes locked with her own. While their relationship hadn't started out the greatest when she had first come to the guild, it had gotten a lot better over the years. He had been there for her when her former team had not. If anything, she looked at the elder blonde as an older brother of sorts. She looked at the rest of his team as her siblings as well. They may not have talked on a day to day basis, but she knew that if she ever needed anything, they would be ready and willing to help her in any way that she could.

"You're blonde, too. And I was just thinking about how much has changed since I first set foot in these halls.", Lucy replied softly.

"Shit sure has changed, hasn't it? But I think it's changed for the better, if you ask me. I may not talk to very many people in this guild, but I can easily say that all of them are my family. No matter how much some of them tend to piss me off.", Laxus smirked.

"I can agree with you on that.", the younger blonde nodded in return.

"So, what brings you all the way up here? You rarely come up here unless you have to talk to Gramps or you want a girls night with Evergreen.", Laxus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Master wants to talk to me about the job that I took with my boys. We were ambushed by Master Zero and found out a few things. It was too much for me to talk to him about over a lacrima so he wanted to talk to as soon as I got back to the guild. I was about to head over to his office but got distracted.", Lucy explained with a small shrug. She knew that she could tell Laxus anything and he wouldn't pry any information out of her unless he absolutely had to. She knew that because Master Zero had been involved that she would have some explaining to do to him and his team later.

"Well, you shouldn't keep him waiting any longer then. I'm sure that I don't have to tell you that I expect an explanation as soon as possible, too?", Laxus inquired with a small smirk.

"I already knew that, trust me. I'll bring Cobra and Midnight with me when I come talk to your team when I get a chance. I don't think you guys have ever formally met, even before they were turned into kids.", Lucy nodded with a smile.

"I don't think I ever did get the chance to meet them now that you mention it.", Laxus muttered.

"Then I'll make sure to bring them over with me. It probably won't be today though. I have a date with Rogue and I don't feel like waiting any longer than I have to.", the smaller blonde giggled.

"He breaks your heart and I'll break every bone in his body twice.", Laxus grunted.

"Already knew that, trust me. There's a reason I haven't even bothered dating until now.", Lucy smirked in response.

"Glad we understand each other. Now go meet up with Gramps so you can go on your damn date.", the older male agreed.

"As you wish, Future Guild Master.", Lucy snorted turning on her heel and making her way over to Makarov's office door.

Laxus watched the younger blonde go with a small, fond smile gracing his lips. He held a lot of respect for the young woman. She had been through so much in her few short years within the guild, a lot more than most of the guild had ever been through in their life. He couldn't help but respect the fierce determination and pride that Lucy held herself up with. She was a total sweetheart to everyone but never hesitated to put someone in their place when the time came.

All in all, he was honored to have such a respectable guild mate that he could consider a part of his insane family.

* * *

Lucy stared at Master Makarov's office door and let out a small, almost silent groan. She knew perfectly well that she was required to disclose everything that had happened on the job, but that didn't mean that she was looking forward to it. Recounting everything that happened during the job detail by detail was a major pain and it was even more annoying to have to put it all into words. She mentally scolded herself that she should have been completely used to having to do this with the master given who her former team was. Team Natsu had been more focused on getting the job done and destroying everything in sight rather than paying attention to their surroundings.

So, all in all, recounting the events of the jobs she took with Team Natsu became her job. She knew that if she continued to take jobs with her boys that there wouldn't be nearly as much property damage to report, but still. Having to tell the Master about everything that three Dragon Slayers did along with the Master of Nightmares himself was always going to be an interesting experience.

With a sigh and shake of her head, Lucy cleared her thoughts. She didn't have time to stand around outside Master's office door all day. While Master was a patient man, she knew that he didn't want to wait all day for her report. Especially considering the things that had happened during the job. She lifted her hand and knocked forcefully on the door to announce her presence.

She didn't even bother resisting the urge to roll her eyes when she heard Makarov yelp in surprise and heard a desk drawer being shut with more force than was needed. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the Master had been doing all alone in his office. Once she was given the okay to enter, she twisted the knob on the door and pushed it open. She stepped inside the office and shut the door quietly behind her before shooting the Master a small smile.

"Ah, Lucy my dear, how're you doing?", the tiny Guild Master asked with a wide grin. He had perched himself on top of his desk, his trademark orange, duel pointed hat sitting proudly on his head. He gestured towards one of the arm chairs in his office and signaled for her to have a seat. He had a feeling that this could take awhile and figured they might as well get comfortable.

"I'm alright, just really glad to be back home. As you've already heard, our job went a little different than we had expected.", Lucy admitted with a small shrug of her shoulders. She took a seat in one of the arm chairs and allowed her body to relax. They had only been back in Magnolia for a couple of hours and she wanted nothing more than to take a nap and sleep for the next week. She knew that that wouldn't be happening anytime soon though, she had plans after this, after all.

"So you've told me. Now that you are home, I would like you to tell me everything that transpired while you were in Basil. Do not leave anything out.", Makarov requested, his voice unnaturally stern. He rarely used this type of voice with the people he looked at as his children. But this was serious. His children had been targeted while out on a run of the mill job and he wanted to be sure that there wasn't a chance of anything like this happening again.

Lucy nodded before she started to explain everything that had happened after they'd arrived in Basil. She told him about their meeting with the job requester and how they had felt as if something was a little off about the man. She had described what the man had looked like in case the Master recognized him from anywhere. She told him about how they had been ambushed within the confines of the requester's home and how Master Zero had shown up and taunted both Midnight and Cobra. Lucy grit her teeth in anger when she recounted how she had been injured by the man who had tricked them all into coming on that job.

Makarov silently took note of the amount of angry energy that seemed to be radiating off the Light of Fairy Tail as she told him about how Zero and the man who had summoned them for the job taunted the two children in her care. He understood how she felt all too well. Seeing as he looked at everyone who bore the Fairy Tail emblem as his children, he always felt personally attacked anytime one of them was injured of threatened. After taking a breath to calm himself, he returned his attention to the blonde woman in his office.

Lucy took a deep breath as she explained how the battle went down within the wreckage of the home that they'd been in. She explained that Midnight had stayed behind to give her some cover while she figured out a plan to take down Zero for good. A single tear trailed down her cheek as she told him about how she'd had to watch Sting, Rogue, and Cobra face off against Zero. The pain in her voice was evident in her voice as she recounted every detail from the battle. She'd never been a violent person and never enjoyed having to fight anybody, but it was even worse when she was forced to watch the people she cared about fight and get hurt.

She told him about the strange, dreamlike vision that she'd had during the battle. She told him about how she'd somehow managed to step foot into Natsu's memories of his own battle with Master Zero. She explained that that was how she'd figured out how to ultimately take down Zero for good. She explained how they'd come up with the plan to get the Slayer's into Dragon Force and how they'd hit him with all of their most powerful attacks. She proudly told the Master about the Unison Raid that the Slayer's had managed to pull off. She couldn't help but tell him in detail about how terrifyingly beautiful it had been.

Once she was finished explaining everything there was to tell about the battle, she took a moment to catch her breath. She had given him a lot of information, but there was still a little bit that she still had to tell him about. Like the riddle, for instance.

"It seems that you had quite the interesting job indeed, Lucy.", Makarov sighed with a small shake of his head. In truth, he was quite amazed with his children. They had managed to take down a Guild Master that was thought to be dead and they had done so without sustaining any major injuries.

"I think that's a bit of an understatement. Midnight even managed to regain his memories in the middle of the whole thing too.", She sighed in agreement.

"He remembers everything now? How is he taking all of it?", the elder asked, concern lacing his voice.

"I don't think he's really sat down and let it sink in yet. It wasn't exactly the best time for him to remember everything when he got his memories back, you know?", the blonde who frowned.

"I suppose that's true. He is aware that we do not hold anything against him and Cobra anymore, correct?", the Master questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"They both know that quite well, but it doesn't stop them from still placing blame on themselves. Cobra may not show it, but I know it still bothers me. Midnight is more sensitive than Cobra and I have a feeling that he's going to take everything a whole lot harder.", Lucy sighed sadly. Her poor boys had been through so much and it seemed as if it would never end.

"Well, if they ever want confirmation, send them my way.", Makarov offered with a small smile.

"I'll be sure to do that, thank you.", Lucy replied with a small smile.

"I know that there is still something that you haven't told me, Lucy.", the Master pointed out with a grin.

"There was something that Zero told us before he died, or at least, I'm pretty sure he died. We've been wrong about him being dead before, after all.", Lucy began, her frown once more firmly in place.

"What did he tell you?", the white haired male asked curiously.

"It was more of a riddle, if you think about it.", Lucy replied vaguely.

"What was the riddle, my dear?", Makarov grunted.

"Look for the one who's hair is white as fresh fallen snow. You'll find your answers in the eyes filled with violet rage.", Lucy recited easily.

"That's the riddle?", Makarov asked, his eye subtly twitching with recognition.

"Yes, Zero didn't really go into detail about it. He told us that he would be ruining the game or some bullshit like that if he told us anymore about it. You wouldn't happen to have any idea what this riddle means, would you?", Lucy asked, hope lacing her voice.

"Yes, actually. I think I know who the riddle is referring to.", the elder sighed tiredly.

"Oh, thank the Gods.", she sighed in relief.

"I just have a hunch, Lucy. It doesn't mean that the person I'm thinking of will truly have the answers you are looking for.", the Master pointed out.

"Still, your hunch is the only thing I've got. Who do you suspect that the riddle is referring to?", Lucy asked curiously.

"The only person I can think of that matches such a description is a woman named Vorona Dikaya.", Makarov sighed.

"Who is that?", Lucy questioned.

"She is a woman who has been said to transcend time. She is said to not use normal magic like you or myself. She supposedly uses curses that can warp time.", Makarov explained.

"Do you know where we can find this woman?", the blonde woman demanded.

"I can do you one better, I may be able to contact her and have her come to the guild to speak with you and your children.", the Guild Master offered with a small smile.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble.", Lucy nodded in acceptance. She couldn't wait to tell the other's about this discovery. It almost seemed way too good to be true.

"I will see what I can do. For now, you and the other's go home and get some rest. Once I have some more information for you, I will call you up here.", Makarov sighed before waving a dismissive hand towards the woman.

"I'm not about to argue with that. Thank you so much for this, Master. I owe you one.", Lucy replied before exiting the office.

Makarov watched as the Light of his Guild exited his office. She had been through so much and now she had more and more problems being placed on her shoulders. A weaker person would have cracked under the pressure by now. But not Lucy. She stood proudly with her head held high and took on anything that was thrown in front of her with a determined smile on her face.

"She'll still probably crack if she has to deal with this devil woman. Part of me hopes I'm correct for her and those kids' sake. But another part of me hopes I'm wrong for the sake for everyone's sanity."

* * *

 **Again, I am soooo sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. I haven't had a whole lot of time to write all week and I finally got around to just sitting down and pumping this chapter out. A lot of shit is starting to happen and I can't wait to write the next chapter!**

 **This story is un betaed so please excuse any mistakes that I may have missed while editing this chapter!**

 **Is Rogue going to get that goddamn date?!**

 **Will Sting ever find love?**

 **Where the hell is Natsu?**

 **Just who is Vorona and why is Master dreading contacting her?**

 **How is Midnight going to take the return of his memories now that they've returned home?!**

 **Guess you'll just have to stick around and find out.**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **I'LL SEE YOU GUYS NEXT YEAR! HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to get out! I had a bit of a hectic beginning of the year and haven't had much time to sit down and write. Plus I've developed a bit of an addiction to Skyrim over the past week or so. Don't judge me. I channeled my inner Dragon Slayer and kicked some major ass. But, after spending almost every waking moment playing it for the past week and a half... I decided it was time for a break, and time for me to give you guys a chapter.**

 **I do apologize if it's a bit shorter than it usually is, this chapter gave me a few problems while I was writing it. I'm going to blame it on having literally Skyrim on the brain. I almost wrote Dragon Born instead of Dragon Slayer a few different times. Feel free to judge me for that, I wouldn't blame you a damn bit.**

 **But yeah, I hope you all had a wonderful New Year and to those who partied it up, I hope you stayed safe. :) Let's get on with the shit you actually came here for, shall we?**

 **Important notice at the bottom, my dudes!**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story!**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper.**

* * *

Previously;

 _"I will see what I can do. For now, you and the other's go home and get some rest. Once I have some more information for you, I will call you up here.", Makarov sighed before waving a dismissive hand towards the woman._

 _"I'm not about to argue with that. Thank you so much for this, Master. I owe you one.", Lucy replied before exiting the office._

 _Makarov watched as the Light of his Guild exited his office. She had been through so much and now she had more and more problems being placed on her shoulders. A weaker person would have cracked under the pressure by now. But not Lucy. She stood proudly with her head held high and took on anything that was thrown in front of her with a determined smile on her face._

 _"She'll still probably crack if she has to deal with this devil woman. Part of me hopes I'm correct for her and those kids' sake. But another part of me hopes I'm wrong for the sake for everyone's sanity."_

* * *

As Lucy made her back down to the main level of the guild hall, her mind wandered back to the conversation she'd just had with Makarov. She was relieved that he seemed to have an idea of who it was that they were looking for, but was also worried about the things that he had said about her. He had said something about this woman supposedly being able to use a curse that warped time and space. That was just a little intimidating to think about. If this woman truly was the one who had changed Cobra and Midnight into children, why would she want to help them turn the boys back into their original forms?

If she truly was the reason behind their ailment, would she be willing to tell them her reasoning behind doing this to them?

How would the boys and the Twins react when she told them about the conversation that she had just had?

Would they be worried?

Would the boys be angry at the woman who could have all the answers but never explained herself to them?

The blonde haired woman was broken out of her thoughts when she felt herself come in contact with a warm, clearly male, chest. Her cheeks tinged red with embarrassment as she lifted her head to find that she had walk straight into Rogue.

"It would seem that whatever you and the Master were talking about has caused you quite a bit of confusion. I take it that he had some potential answers for us?", Rogue asked smoothly.

"Yeah, I'll tell you guys all about it later once we get back to the house.", Lucy nodded in affirmation.

"Shall we gather the others then? Froche and Lector are going to stay with Rufus and Orga for a little bit longer, I guess. It would seem that while we were gone they started some strange series and they refuse to go home until they've finished every last season that there is.", the dark haired male sighed, his crimson eyes dancing with mirth.

"That sounds like something they would do. They aren't watching some trashy romance that's going to rot their minds, are they?", the blonde asked with a raised eyebrow. She knew that Rufus was a complete pervert, no matter how hard the Memory Mage tried to hide that fact. Orga, she knew was a total sap deep down. His huge muscles weren't fooling anybody.

"Thankfully not.", Rogue denied with relief. In truth, he couldn't even remember the name of the show that the four were currently obsessed with. Once they had assured him that it wasn't anything that would scar the two Exceeds for life, he had stopped listening to Rufus' ranting about how wonderful this show supposedly was. As long as his precious Froche wasn't in any danger, he didn't really care.

"At least that's something we can be grateful for. Should we grab the others and head back to the house? I believe I owe a certain Dragon Slayer a date.", Lucy smirked, internally reveling in the fact that Rogue's cheeks tinged an adorable shade of pink at her comment.

"I think that would be wise. After the experience we've just had on our last job, I think a night out is exactly what we need.", Rogue nodded in agreement, fully ignoring the fact that his cheeks were stained red. If she could make him blush with such a simple remark, he truly was doomed in the future. He wasn't easily embarrassed, but it seemed that Lucy had her way of doing so without even trying. And honestly, he couldn't find it within himself to care about that fact.

It was what made Lucy special, after all.

After agreeing that it was time to take the other's back to the house, the duo made their way over to the table that the other three members of their team were lounging. Midnight was all but curled up in a content ball of peaceful slumber. His childlike body was pressed up against Cobra's side and a small, rare smile could be seen on the normally scowling boy's face. It seemed that during his time as a child, the Poison Slayer had finally learned that he could open up and openly show his emotions to the outside world.

From what Lucy and Rogue could see, it looked like Cobra and Sting were in a heated debate. Even with the small, content smile on the younger Slayer's face, it was easy to see that his indigo eyes were flashing with determination and challenge. The blonde Slayer had a wicked smirk plastered to his face while his ice blue eyes shined with amusement and mirth. Lucy's heart swelled at the sight. All of her boy's were getting along great and it was easy for her to see that her sons had quickly become family to Sting.

Even if the blonde Slayer would deny it if it were ever brought up in casual conversation.

When the pair of bickering Slayer's sensed Lucy and Rogue's arrival at the table, their squabbling came to an end and they turned their attention towards the approaching duo.

"You done talking to the old man, ma?", Cobra asked, his smile staying firmly in place.

At some point the maroon haired Slayer had wrapped a loose arm around his surrogate brother's shoulder to keep him from toppling onto the floor if he were to jerk in his sleep. While normally he would have found such an event highly amusing, he was in a bit of an affectionate mood at that moment. He saw his mother's eye lock onto the arm he had wrapped around Midnight's shoulders and shot her a look that dared her to question his motives. He smirked a little when the older woman just rolled her eyes and shook her head with a small, happy sigh.

"Yes, he knows about everything that happened. He didn't seem too happy with the fact that we had run into Zero while we were on the job. I think it bothered him more that anybody could have shown up there. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the fact that we had three Dragon Slayer's facing him, we probably would have walked away with a lot more injuries. If we would have even walked away from it.", Lucy explained with a slight grimace, thinking back to what had happened on their job would no doubt bother her for awhile.

Cobra nodded his head in agreement before he continued,"So did you tell him about the weird ass riddle that Zero gave us before he supposedly kicked the bucket?"

"Yes, but I'll explain everything about that when we get back to the house. It really isn't something that everyone in the guild needs to know about. What is going on with you and your brother is solely between us and the Twins. Unless we absolutely have to involve someone else, I'd like to keep it our little secret for now.", the blonde woman replied with a sigh.

"Can't say I disagree with that.", Sting agreed with a stern nod of his head.

"I'm assuming that the reason you two came straight over here was so we could head back to the house and talk about what the old man told you?", Cobra guessed with a raised eyebrow.

"You assume correct. Plus, it would seem that your brother has had enough excitement for one day. I think it would be best if we head back to the house now. I don't give it much longer before your arm starts to go numb.", Rogue suggested, his crimson eyes softening at the sight of the two men turned children.

The dark haired man knew all too well that if Cobra and Midnight were in their normal forms, they wouldn't be caught dead in such a position. But since they were children, it seemed as though they decided to not care about the way their cuddled up position would look to the outside eye. Everyone in the guild knew that they were brothers, whether they shared blood or not. Plus, they wouldn't dare question it anyone, considering who their mother was. While the blonde was normally gentle and caring, everyone knew the maternal instincts that she harbored for her two boys. He had no doubt that if anyone dared question her boys' motives ever again that she would whip them raw and hang them out to dry.

Somehow, the thought of watching her lose her temper and tear into someone was sexy as hell.

He quickly decided that it was time to squash those thoughts before he made a fool out of himself in front of the entire guild.

"Thank fucking God for that, you sick bastard.", he heard Cobra mutter under his breath and shot him a hard glare, silently telling him to shut his mouth. The Shadow Slayer grit his teeth in frustration when Cobra just shot him a cocky smirk before the younger male returned his attention to his sleeping brother.

Lucy watched the exchange between Cobra and Rogue with an eyebrow raised in question. After a few moments of silent thought, she decided she really, really didn't want to know what they were muttering about. Chances were, it was something she either didn't need to hear or something that she really wouldn't want to know. She supposed that she should be used to hearing about such thing by now though. She was Natsu's partner for years, after all. Plus she was the only woman on her current team and was used to basically living in a house full of men.

 _'I literally just made myself sound like a fucking hoomie hopper. Thot begone, my lord.',_ the blonde woman mentally groaned. Her eyes widened slightly when she thought back to her previous thoughts for a moment. Never in her life had she ever said the word 'thot' or 'hoomie', she was seriously spending way too much time with men. She was starting to think like them.

"I swear if I wake up tomorrow with a one eyed wonder weasel, I'm quitting life.", she grumbled under her breath.

Three sets of Slayer eyes instantly locked on hers, their eyes wide with both wonder and disgust.

"The fuck are you thinking about, woman?!", Cobra asked with a slight cringe.

"I don't think I want to know...", Sting trailed off.

"I second that, Sting.", Rogue nodded in agreement.

"Trust me, you guys really don't want to know.", Lucy sighed with a shake of her head.

The three males nodded in acceptance before Rogue reached out and scooped the still sleeping Midnight into his arms. When he heard a low growl leave Cobra's lips at the action, he shot the younger male a questioning look.

"I could have fucking carried him, you know. He's my fucking brother and it's my job to take care of him.", Cobra ground out, his eyes flashing seriously.

"I understand how you feel, but you look as though you are about to fall asleep. It wouldn't end well if you fell asleep with Midnight on your back, now would it?", Rogue questioned with a small smile.

"I guess you're right.", the maroon haired boy sighed in acceptance.

"If you two are quite finished, we shoulder probably head back to the house so we can have a little talk before everybody falls asleep.", Lucy spoke up with a small yawn. At the rate that they were going, she probably wasn't going on her date with Rogue tonight. She was sure that he would completely understand, seeing as he looked just as tired as she and the other's did. Nobody could really blame them for being tired though, they'd just fought for their lives not even a full day ago. They had every damn right to be exhausted, thank you very much!

"I agree with Blondie, I'm ready for bed but I'll stay up long enough to hear what you and Gramps were talking about.", Sting nodded with a wide yawn.

Lucy nodded in acceptance before bending down in front of Cobra with er back to him. When he shot her a questioning look, she just smiled at him in a motherly fashion.

"Like Shadow Booty said, you look like you are ready to pass the hell out. Hop on, I don't mind having my own passenger.", Lucy replied to his silent question with a wink.

With a couple of muttered curses, the maroon haired boy scrambled onto his mother figures back. He wrapped his tiny arms around her neck loosely and wrapped his legs around her waist. Once he was convinced that he would fall on his ass, he buried his head between Lucy's shoulder blades and nodded his head to signal that he was ready.

"What, I don't get to be carried?", Sting pouted as his icy blue eyes danced with amusement.

"Carry yourself, Bumble Booty.", Lucy and Rogue snorted in unison. The pair shared a chuckle at the horrified look on their blonde friend's face before shaking their heads at the man.

"Time to go home.", Lucy announced before she started towards the doors to the guild, Rogue, Sting, and a sleeping Midnight weren't far behind.

* * *

Laxus and his team watched as Lucy and her boy's exited the guild hall, all of them had satisfied smiles plastered on their faces. Since Laxus was brought back into the guild, him and his team had bonded with Lucy to the point where she was like their little sister. They had all watched from afar as she was all but left behind by her former team and it had taken an incredible amount of self control to keep all of them from pummeling her former team mates.

"Lucy hasn't smiled like that in quite some time.", Freed sighed out with a thoughtful smile gracing his normally stoic features. He and Lucy's relationship revolved almost solely on their similar backgrounds and their almost obsessive need for knowledge. Over the last couple of years, the two of them had taken a few jobs that required them to translate old texts and their friendship had blossomed from there.

She was one of the only people that he trusted enough to break his unemotional facade in front of, a feat that only his team had been able to do until until then. He could laugh around her, smile around her, he could truly be himself. He treasured Lucy like she was his own little sister and it warmed his heart to see her as happy as she was now.

"I agree, I was really starting to worry about her. For awhile, it seemed like she had lost that spark that drew everyone to her in the beginning. Without her spark, she's just a shell of who she really is. Who would have thought that the Twin Slayers and two childlike forms of two men that tried to kill her in the past would bring her back to her normal self.", Evergreen agreed with a soft smile.

"Cosplayer is special, I knew that she would go back to normal eventually. I won't deny that I was worried about her though, her soul was actually starting to fade. It was damn near physically painful to watch such a beautiful, golden soul lose its shine.", Bickslow nodded in agreement.

Laxus watched his team fondly as they spoke about the tiny, blonde haired woman that had managed to wiggle her way into their hearts. Not only had they found a sister in the blonde woman, but they had found one of the best friends that they ever could have asked for.

Freed had found somebody that shared his love of books and all things knowledgeable. He had found somebody that understood his past and that he could talk openly about it with. When he struggled with a shitty memory from his childhood, he knew that he could go to her and that she would assure him that he deserved to be happy. She had convinced him that he didn't have to hide behind his mask of indifference around her. He could well and truly open his heart up to this woman.

Evergreen had finally found a female companion to go out with, to shop with, to have sappy conversations about how assholish men tended to be. She had found a woman that would sit and eat junk food for a week straight when her time of the month came, something that she didn't dare try to do with her male team mates. That was a whole level of weird that even Bickslow wouldn't touch.

Bickslow had found somebody who didn't judge him for his dangerous magic. The blonde woman would look fearlessly into his eyes and had actually complained that the blue haired man had prettier eyes than her. Not only had he found somebody that truly accepted every bit of him, but he had found a wonderful drinking partner in the blonde haired beauty. She could not only handle her alcohol, but she was just as goofy and giggly as he was when she was completely hammered. Their infamous twerk off's on Mira's bar were widely known to the other guilds in Fiore and it never ceased to amuse the partners in drunken crime when they were challenged for their title to Best Booty Poppers in Fiore.

So far, they'd never been beaten and they were totally proud of that fact.

The Lightening Slayer was brought out of his thoughts when Bickslow's voice broke the comfortable silence that had engulfed them.

"What do you think about her budding relationship with Rogue, Boss Man?", the blue haired mage asked with his typical tongue waggling grin.

"He hurts her in anyway and he's as good as dead.", Laxus replied seriously.

"Agreed.", all three of his team mates nodded in unison.

Good, they all understood each other.

* * *

 **Like I said, this chapter ended up being shorter than the others. It was giving me issues because again, I have Skyrim on the brain. But I knew that I owed you guys a chapter and hated the fact that I've made you guys wait this long for one. So again, I'm really sorry! Hopefully the next chapter won't take this long to get out.**

 **I do not use a beta so please excuse any errors I may have missed during my editing!**

 **Seriously, will Lucy and Rogue ever get that goddamn date?!**

 **Who would you pair Sting up with in this fic?**

 **Do we need some LaxLu and company BroTP moments in future chapters?**

 **Is shit going to hit the fan when we join Lucy and the gang back at her home when she tells them about her and Makarov's conversation?**

 **Is Midnight finally going to face his memories of the past?!**

 **Seriously, where the fuck is Natsu and why isn't he back yet?!**

 **I guess you'll just have to stick around and find out, eh?**

 **IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!**

 **There are only a few chapters left of this story! But! I already have a sequel in the works that will focus more on Rogue and Lucy's budding relationship! This is only the beginning, you guys!**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Alright, so it's finally time for chapter 12. I'll tell you what, I literally say on my ass and wrote this in one sitting. Absolutely no regrets here, guys. I will warn you guys though, this chapter is a bit on the short side due to the shit that's going down in the next one. I suspect that there's only going to be about three more chapters of this story before I start working on the sequel! Remember, the sequel will be more centered about Rogue and Lucy. ;)**

 **Also, if you guys are looking for some seriously juicy RoLu loving, check out my friend SynriLynn's story Broken in the Worst Way! It's such a beautiful story and I've been given the honor of betaing it for her. Seriously, check it out. It's amazing. *insert some heart eyes right here please***

 **This is why we should be able to use emojis on this site. My life would be sooooo much easier!**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story!**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper**

* * *

Previously;

 _The Lightening Slayer was brought out of his thoughts when Bickslow's voice broke the comfortable silence that had engulfed them._

 _"What do you think about her budding relationship with Rogue, Boss Man?", the blue haired mage asked with his typical tongue waggling grin._

 _"He hurts her in anyway and he's as good as dead.", Laxus replied seriously._

 _"Agreed.", all three of his team mates nodded in unison._

 _Good, they all understood each other._

* * *

The walk back to Lucy's home was made in mostly silence. Each of the members of their little family were all lost in their own thoughts for the future. None of them knew what the future was going to bring them. Nor did any of them, save for Lucy, know what the blonde woman had in store for them when they returned to the house. They knew that the news she had gotten was important, but they didn't know if it would effect the familial bonds that they had.

They all knew that there was always a chance that Cobra and Midnight could wake up one morning in their original bodies and, at this point, none of them knew how they felt about that fact. It was clear that both of the boys had no intentions of ever returning to a life filled with blood and crime, but Cobra and Midnight feared that they just weren't ready to change back yet. If changing back was even an option for them.

Both boys had already come to terms with the fact that they may end up going through their childhoods a second time. They had no issues witht that fact, especially since they would not be repeating their younger years trapped in the Tower of Heaven. The thought of growing back into adults under the watchful eye of Lucy and the Twins didn't bother them one bit. While they looked at Lucy as their mother, they had grown to look at the Twin Slayers as big brothers of sorts.

Even if one was bubbly and could be downright idiotic. While the other one was stoic and a bit of a smart ass. Unless Lucy was around, that is. When Lucy was around, Rogue pretty much turned into a pile of goo.

While no one in their little group, save for Lucy, knew what was going on at the moment, they all trusted her judgement. Normally, if it had been something of great importance, she would have told them immediately. They all knew that they had to be patient and wait until they got home before she told them.

But that didn't stop them all from wishing that her house was a lot closer than it was to the guild. They wanted to know everything, and they wanted to know now. The suspense was starting to ebb away at their sanity.

Which was sad, considering they'd only been walking for about five minutes.

* * *

Lucy unlocked the door to the home she shared with her boys with irritating slowness. She could almost feel the four glares that were being shot her way as their eyes bored into the back of her head. She knew that they wanted to know what Makarov had told her, but she couldn't help but mess with them just a little bit. It was almost too easy when they were like this.

After what felt like an eternity, she pushed the door to the house open. She quickly ushered everybody into the house before shutting the door firmly behind her. She redid the lock on the door as an afterthought. She knew that nobody they knew would come barging into her house unannounced, but she couldn't help but be a little paranoid at the moment. The fight with Zero had taken more out of her than she would have liked to admit. She turned her attention back to her boy's and gestured for them to take a seat in the living room. It was finally time to let them all know what she and the Master had talked about during her recollection of events during their job.

"Are you finally going to tell us what you and Master talked about, Lucy?", Sting spoke up, effectively breaking the tense silence that seemed to engulf the room.

"Yes and honestly, I don't know how I feel about what I'm about to tell you guys. It can either be taken in a really, really good way, or it can be some shit news depending on how you look at it. I just want you guys to promise me right now that you won't get angry or freak out.", Lucy sighed as she took a seat on the sofa between Cobra and Midnight. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her bent knees before laying her forehead on her laced fingers.

"We promise not to act rashly. We all know that this is a very sensitive situation and we never know what is going to happen next.", Rogue replied firmly.

"I need to hear it from all of you. You all need to promise me. Keep in mind that I am a Celestial Wizard and I expect promises to be kept.", Lucy said sternly, her brow furrowing against her laced fingers.

"While I won't promised not to get pissed, I promise not to act on my anger.", Cobra muttered. He didn't like where this was going and she hadn't even started yet. What could the old man have told her that made her react this way? At this point, he was almost expecting the worst to come out of her mouth.

"I promise to keep my emotions in check and to not act on any anger that I may feel once you have finished explaining.", Midnight promised from his seat next to his mother.

He didn't know how he was going to handle what Lucy was about to tell him. At this point, he hadn't even had time to sit down and really think about his newly recovered memories. He knew what he had done in the past was beyond shitty and he didn't know how he was going to handle even more information. He silently told himself that everything would be fine as long as he had Lucy and the others by his side. She had promised that they would never be alone again and he knew full well that she made good on her promises when she made them.

"I promise not to freak out or get angry. I think Rogue would probably make my balls into a coin purse if I did.", Sting smirked.

"You lie, I would never even touch your balls. Let alone walk around with them carrying my spare change.", the ebony haired Slayer snorted with disgust.

"And why the hell not?!", Sting asked in mock offense.

"I'm not gay.", Rogue deadpanned in response.

"Could have fooled me. The only thing keeping me from questioning your sexuality is the fact that you have the hots for my mom.", Cobra drawled lazily.

A snort of amusement was heard from Midnight and Lucy from their positions on the couch. Lucy's eyes zoned in on Rogue as she watched him slowly start to lift himself from his chair. She decided it was time to put a stop to this before they all got out of hand. Only they would be able to start a brawl when she was about to lay some serious shit on them.

"Okay, before you all decide to kill each other, let's get this over with, shall we?", Lucy interrupted, pinning Rogue with a stern glare. She internally grinned when she watched his face pale before retaking his seat. She knew that her boys would probably pay for their remark later, but she would deal with that when the time came.

"I think that would be wise.", Midnight stated with a sigh.

"Alright, so it's like this you guys. I don't have a whole lot of information about this person but Master seems to have a good feeling about them. He suspects that the person responsible for turning Midnight and Cobra into children was a woman by the name of Vorona Dikaya. From what he told me, she uses curses. The curse she primarily uses can distort time and basically change it. I guess she can warp the time around a person, either changing them into children, elderly people, babies, you get the idea.", Lucy explained slowly, having a hard time believing the words that were leaving her mouth.

"So, you're saying that a woman we've never even heard of may be the cause behind all of this?", Midnight asked through gritted teeth.

"Master seems to think so. It sounds like he actually has a way of contacting this woman. He's going to see what he can do and if he is able to get into contact her, he is going to ask her to come to the guild and talk to us. If she is indeed the person behind this, there is a chance that she may be able to reverse what she's done to you. If she's the one who even did this. If she isn't, I don't doubt that she would know who did.", the blonde woman nodded.

"So, this could either answer all of our questions or this could be a huge fucking waste of time.", Cobra muttered.

"Not quite. Like I said, if she isn't the one who did it, there is a chance that she would know who is the one responsible. From what Master told me, this woman is hard to deal with. Luckily for us, I'm used to dealing with people like that.", Lucy grunted before looking over at Cobra mockingly.

"How am I difficult to deal with!?", the maroon haired Slayer protested.

"Seriously, dude?", Midnight, Sting, and Rogue deadpanned at once.

"Point taken, continue.", Cobra conceded.

"I will, thanks for giving me permission to do so. As I was saying, Master is going to try to get this woman to the guild. For now, all we can really do is wait for him to contact me with some more information. I don't know about you guys, but I think that it is best for us to stick around Magnolia until Master has some more information for us. It wouldn't be good if he got in contact with this woman and we weren't around to meet up with her, you know? I understand if the Twins want to take another job, but the boys and I will be staying in town until this is taken care off.", Lucy finished with an exhausted sigh.

She hadn't thought that telling them all of this would take so much energy. There really wasn't a whole lot that she was able to tell them, but it was still hard to say. The fact that none of them knew if this Vorona woman had been the one behind their stress or not. It was nerve wracking all the same. They were either going to get some answers or they were going to go straight back to square one. Honestly, Lucy hoped that they were going to get some damn answers. They were seriously overdue for some.

"You really think we would just leave you three here while we traveled around without you? Are you insane, Blondie?", Sting snorted, his eyebrow raised in question. Did this woman truly think that he and his partner would up and leave them now that they were finally getting somewhere? Hell no, they were sticking this through and weren't going to miss a minute of it.

"He's right, you know. We are just as involved in this as you are. We have grown quite fond of Cobra and Midnight and would like to support them in any way that we are able to. We will be sticking around Magnolia as well.", Rogue agreed with a nod of his head.

Lucy couldn't help the watery smile that graced her lips. She felt two sets of short arms wrap loosely around her waist and instantly curled her arms around her boys. She really couldn't have chosen a better family for herself. She had no idea what she had done right to deserve such wonderful people in her life.

"Thanks guys, you have no idea what that means to me.", Lucy whispered through her silent tears.

"You know what I think we need?", Sting spoke up suddenly, his eye lighting up with excitement.

"I'm going to regret the living hell out of this but...what do we need oh wise Bumble Booty?", Cobra sighed. Once he realized what he had called the Light Slayer, he mentally kicked the shit out of himself. Of all the fruity things to call the man, he just had to use his mother's nickname for him. He was living in a household with three other men and a woman and he was stuck picking up her habits?! He needed a guys night, dammit!

If only he was actually able to drink while being stuck in his childlike state...

Damn.

"I think we need a movie night complete with junk food and way too much take out.", Sting smirked.

"That actually sounds quite nice.", Rogue nodded in agreement.

"I could go for some snacks.", Midnight nodded into his mother's side.

"I'm in as long as we get to pick the movies.", Cobra sighed.

"What's wrong with my movie choices?!", Sting cried, clearly offended.

"You tried to fucking Notebook us all, asshole.", Lucy snorted. She was already feeling better. That was the effect that her four boys had on her. It was almost impossible for her to stay upset or angry with them around.

"Language, Mother.", Cobra and Midnight snickered in unison.

"Bite me, boys.", the blonde woman retorted as she stuck her tongue out childishly.

"Ask me when I'm an adult again.", Cobra replied, his voice dripping with obvious sarcasm.

"Incest!", Sting and Midnight bellowed together.

Rogue and Lucy just shook their heads with amusement. There really never was a dull moment in this house.

"So, movies and snacks?", Rogue interjected before more strange arguments could ensue.

The ebony haired mage received four nods of agreement before they all set out in search of food and movies that weren't the Notebook, much to Sting's displeasure. Sting had gotten stuck with popcorn duty. Rogue had taken the liberty of ordering horrifying amounts of takeout food. Midnight and Cobra were charged with finding them acceptable movies to watch, again, to Sting's displeasure. And then that left Lucy with gathering all the blankets in the house and fixing them into the most badass living room fort known to all of Fiore.

As Lucy put the final touches on their blanket fort, she let her mind wander. After some serious mental warfare, she came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to dwell on whatever was coming their way in the near future. For now, she would take it day by day. As long as she had her family by her side, she could face whatever life threw her way. She would stand with her head held high and would face whatever was to come with her family by her side.

She would not have to shoulder everybody's burdens by herself anymore.

* * *

Somewhere off on the other side of Fiore, a feminine chuckle was heard. The woman swiped her snow white hair out of her shimmering violet eyes as she peered into the mirror in front of her. She watched the scene of a happy family of five curling up for the night as they passed the time watching movies together. The woman smirked with amusement as she watched two young boys curl into the woman contently before they allowed themselves to succumb to sleeps embrace.

She allowed the image to fade as she stood from her seat. She looked closely at her own reflection in the mirror and couldn't help but grimace at the sight she saw. Hair white as snow trailed down her back, ending just above the backs of her knees. Violet eyes that always seemed to filled with a rage that just couldn't be completely controlled. It was almost as if her rage was destined to swim in her eyes until the end of time. Bandages black as the night sky were wrapped snugly around her generous chest, leaving the rest of her torso bare. Equally black leather pants stretched down to her knees and covered nothing more. Her bare feet cooled against the frozen floor below. She looked at her reflection with disgust rolling off her body in waves.

Her thoughts suddenly strayed back to the scene she had just watch unfold. While her life thus far had not been ideal, she couldn't help but smile a little at the happy scene she had helped create. The reasoning behind the use of her curse on those boys may not have been ethical, but she was relieved to see that they had found the place they truly belonged because of it.

If only the other people who had been effected by her curse in the past had been so lucky.

She allowed her thoughts to wander towards the others who had been effected by the cursed power that she possessed. Her mind wandered to a happy go lucky boy with salmon pink hair. A young boy with long, spiky black hair whose face seemed to be frozen in a scowl. A little girl with hair so blue, it reminded her of the sky at midnight. A young boy who's unruly blonde hair that couldn't be tamed, a cocky smirk almost always present on his lips. A quiet ebony haired boy who seemed to love books more than interaction with other children, save for the company of the cocky blonde haired boy.

"It seems that even they were able to find their place in this time. It would seem that they all were. Who would have guessed that they all would have ended up in the same place. Funny thing, time. You never know just what it will do to you. I will see you soon, my children.", the woman whispered into the wind.

* * *

 **So...did you guys see that coming or nah? I'm actually quite curious to see if you guys did. Let me know what you think!**

 **As always, I do not use a beta, so please excuse any mistakes I may have missed during my editing!**

 **Is this woman going to help Cobra and Midnight return to normal?**

 **What was the true reason behind their change?**

 **How is she connected with some of the other characters?**

 **Seriously, is Rogue ever going to get that date?**

 **Guess you'll have to stick around and find out, yeah?**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Only a couple chapters left and then comes the writing of the sequel!**

 **Until Next Time, My Lovelies!**


	13. Chapter 13

**auFirst off, I would like to apologize for how long this took to get out. Life has been a little crazy for the last week or so. I've been taking my neighbor to the ER a lot due to some medical issues, so I've pretty much brunt myself out. Plus, people on my end are acting like total idiots and I kinda wanna smack the crap outta them. We aren't even a month into 2018 and people are already acting dumb. But yeah, I digress.**

 **After all of that fuckery, I finally decided that it was time to sit down and knock out another chapter of this story. There are two more chapters after this one and then we will be delving into the sequel once I start getting it written! I hope this chapter was worth the wait. :) I was originally going to have the next chapter be the last one, but this one started to get a little too long and I figured I owned you guys SOMETHING. That's enough guilty ranting for one chapter...**

 **I lied, one more thing! If you're looking for some amazing RoLu love, check out SynriLynn's work! She's a wonderful author and I have the honor of betaing for her. Give her work a look, you won't be disappointed. :)**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story and an OC used.**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper**

* * *

Previously;

 _Her thoughts suddenly strayed back to the scene she had just watch unfold. While her life thus far had not been ideal, she couldn't help but smile a little at the happy scene she had helped create. The reasoning behind the use of her curse on those boys may not have been ethical, but she was relieved to see that they had found the place they truly belonged because of it._

 _If only the other people who had been effected by her curse in the past had been so lucky._

 _She allowed her thoughts to wander towards the others who had been effected by the cursed power that she possessed. Her mind wandered to a happy go lucky boy with salmon pink hair. A young boy with long, spiky black hair whose face seemed to be frozen in a scowl. A little girl with hair so blue, it reminded her of the sky at midnight. A young boy who's unruly blonde hair that couldn't be tamed, a cocky smirk almost always present on his lips. A quiet ebony haired boy who seemed to love books more than interaction with other children, save for the company of the cocky blonde haired boy._

 _"It seems that even they were able to find their place in this time. It would seem that they all were. Who would have guessed that they all would have ended up in the same place. Funny thing, time. You never know just what it will do to you. I will see you soon, my children.", the woman whispered into the wind._

* * *

It wasn't until about two weeks later that Lucy and her family had finally been contacted by Master Makarov. He had finally managed to get in contact with the woman who could possibly be the key behind it all. He had notified her that the woman would be arriving later that day and that she would be be coming straight to her home. Master had also told her that he would be coming over the the home that she shared with her boys shortly. He not only wanted to be there to support his children, but he wanted to make sure that this Vorona woman didn't do anything rash when she arrived. Makarov had warned her and her family that this woman was not somebody that should be taken lightly. From what he had told her, she had lived for countless years and hadn't stayed alive this long by being a kindhearted woman.

Lucy didn't mind having this meeting in her home though, she actually preferred it that way. They would all be gathered in a space where the entire guild would not be present and trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. The one thing that stuck out to Lucy the most though, was the fact that this woman was apparently bringing someone to her home with her. What interested her more though, was the fact that apparently she was bringing someone that they all knew. With that thought in mind, Lucy was having a hard time calming her nerves as she and her boys all sat in the living room as they waited. They had not been given an exact time for the meeting, so now it was all just a waiting game.

The silence in the room was almost suffocating. The blonde haired woman had no doubt that the tension in the room could have easily been cut straight through with the dullest of knives. It felt as though the entire world could collapse around them if someone so much as moved. She could tell that the Twins and her sons were both tensing to the point where it was physically painful to look at. She figured that she couldn't really blame them though, she was pretty sure that she was faring no better than they were. This was the moment that they had all been painstakingly waiting for. It all came down to this meeting. Either they would walk away with answers and a solution, or they would be right back where they started.

A knock on the front door broke everyone in the room out of their thoughts, none of them had been able to suppress the flinch that wracked all of their bodies.

"I'll get it, it's probably Master.", Lucy said softly before slowly raising herself from her seat on the couch. She grimaced when she heard her back pop and felt all the joints realign themselves into their proper places. She gracefully strode over to her front door and unlocked the door, not even bothering to look out the peep hole. If it was truly Master outside her door, there was no way that she would be able to see him through it anyway.

When Lucy opened the door, she felt herself sigh in relief as she saw Master's head hovering just above her knees. She didn't know what she would have done if their other visitor had gotten there before him. In all honesty, she was a little scared to think about how her boys would have reacted if it hadn't been Master knocking. She knew that they all had questions that they wanted answers to, and she had no doubt in her mind that they'd start their questioning the minute the woman stepped into the house if Master wasn't there to keep them in check.

"Thank you so much for everything you're doing for us, Master. Make yourself at home, can I get you anything?", Lucy asked softly, her gaze turned downward so she could lock eyes with the old man that had become almost like a father to her over the years. While the Master was a total pervert and had absolutely no shame, she knew that he would do everything in his power to help his children.

"I don't need anything at the moment, child. Do not worry about the lengths I have gone through to get this woman here, it was the least I can do. While I was not personally effected by what she has possibly done to your children, they are members of my guild, and it is my job to protect them like a father would.", Makarov replied with a wave of his hand.

His old eyes softened at the mall smile that appeared on the blonde woman's lips. She had been through so much in her time at the guild, he didn't know how she was always able to pick herself up and move on with her life. Any other person would have easily called it quits by now, but not Lucy. She truly was the Light of Fairy Tail, the light of hi guild. A shining beacon for the other guild mates to gravitate towards.

"All the same, thank you, Master.", Lucy smiled before gesturing for him to take a seat in the living room.

With a small nod of his head, the master of Fairy Tail trailed into the living room with Lucy right behind him.

* * *

Once Lucy and the Master joined the others in the living room, he started telling them everything that they should expect during their encounter with Vorona. He explained that, while he knew of the woman, he had never personally worked with the woman. He was basing the white haired woman's personality and quirks solely on rumors he had heard about her. He explained to them that there was a chance that she wouldn't help them, even if she was the one who had put Midnight and Cobra in their current situations. Needless to say, the boys and Lucy weren't very happy about that possibility.

While Midnight and Cobra didn't mind being in their childlike forms, they both wanted to return to their original forms. Being children was fine, but having the mind of and adult while being trapped in the body you had as a child, that was different. Having little girls blush cutely at them when they walked down the streets with Lucy and the Twins was wholly disturbing for them. Having a six year old making goo goo eyes at you when you walked down the street was just weird to them. And they weren't the only ones a little disturbed by it when it happened. Since it had started happening, the young males had taken to taking alleyways and the like when they had to go out in town.

Sting never failed to give them grief over that fact. They weren't afraid of being mugged by some random crackhead in an alley, but blushing little girls gave the willies.

The first time Sting had given the young boys grief about that fact, Lucy and Rogue had had to restrain both Midnight and Cobra before they could tear the blonde Slayer to shreds. Even if their annoyance and acts of violence were sort of justified. The blonde woman just didn't feel like cleaning the White Slayer's blood out of her carpet.

Once Master Makarov was convinced that they were completely prepared for the encounter with the woman, they all lapsed into silence. Midnight and Cobra had all but placed themselves in Lucy's lap as they waited in silence. Lucy had no issue with them basically taking over her lap, she welcomed their touch. Their presence had an almost calming effect on her. She was worried and nervous about meeting this woman and had no idea what to expect.

Another thing that bothered the young blonde was the fact that this woman was also bringing someone with her into her home. What threw her off though, was the fact that they apparently knew Vorona's plus one. She wracked her brain as she tried to figure out just who it was that this woman could be bringing with her. And why. If this woman truly was the one who had done this to her children, then why did she feel like she needed to bring another person with her? Did this woman feel threatened by Lucy and her family? Or was she planning something sinister? Either way, it still grated at her nerves.

"Lucy, you need to calm down. I can smell your nervousness rolling off you in waves. Nothing will happen with all of us here. Not only is Master here to help us, but Sting and I would never allow harm to come to you or the boy's. Especially within your own home. With any luck, we will be getting all the answers we've been looking for. You need to calm down not only for yourself, but for the boys as well. It isn't hard to see that your concern and nervousness is putting them on edge as well.", Rogue spoke up, effectively breaking the tense silence in the room.

Lucy let out a shaky sigh, she knew that the ebony haired Slayer had a point. She needed to get a grip and control her emotions. She knew that everyone was a little on edge and she wasn't making it any easier with her silent panic attack. She knew that Rogue was telling her the truth, that he and the other's would not allow any sort of harm to come to anyone in this house as long as they were around. After the fight with Zero, they had all become more and more protective of each other. If this woman even looked at one of them funny, Lucy had no doubt that one of the Twins would spring into action.

"He's right, Blondie. Rogue and I won't let shit happen as long as we're here. You're the closest thing we have to family now that our former guild is gone and our dragons are dead. We look out for those we care about. As far as I'm concerned, you three are some of the most important people in our lives. We got your back, no matter what.", Sting nodded in agreement, his trademark, cocky smirk plastered on his lips.

Makarov watched the exchange in silence, pride overwhelming his senses. This was exactly how he wanted all of his children in the guild to act towards each other. In his time as a guild master and a wizard, he had never seen such a bond between friends. They would take a bullet for each other and lift themselves back up off the ground and continue to fight for the people they loved. He had never been prouder in his life.

"I know, but I can't help but think that this goes deeper than we can even fathom. So many questions are swirling around in my head right now. I almost feel like I'm going insane. All these questions that need answering. Why them? Why us? Are there others out there in this situation? Is this the first time its happened? Will it happen again? Can this woman help us? So many questions and I need the answers, I can't keep going on like this. I can't even imagine how Cobra and Midnight feel.", Lucy cried out, her brown eyes shimmering with tears of frustration.

"Focus on yourself right now, Mom. We know you're worried, and so we. We don't know what the hell is going to happen when this lady gets here. None of us know what to expect. But we'll be facing this shit together as a family. I think I speak for Midnight as well when I say that having you guys here is reassuring as hell. I don't think he and I would have made it if you hadn't found us. Hell, we probably would have died in that forest, if we're being honest.", Cobra grunted out, his indigo eyes shining with determination.

"He's right, we're in this together and we'll follow through with it until the end as a family. If this woman isn't the reason behind everything, then fine. I don't mind staying a child if I have to. Maybe growing up as a normal child will do me some good. Now that my memories are back, I can actually sit down and think about my actions in the past. The things we did back then are horrible and I'm hoping for the chance to make things right with the people I've hurt. I know that you don't hold anything against us, but I still hold onto the guilt. My only prayer is to live the rest of my life without regrets. At this point, I don't care if I'm in my original body or stay in my childhood body as long as I am able to atone.", Midnight murmured next to Lucy, his crimson orbs glinting with adoration.

"I don't think I could have ever asked for a better family, honestly. I love the rest of the guild, I do. But you four hold a special place in my heart. If this turns out to be a dead end, I will do everything in my power to return you and Cobra to your original bodies, if you truly want to turn back. If you choose to stay children in the end, I won't object.", the blonde woman murmured in response.

"I can't speak for Midnight, but I do want my original body back. I have nothing against you or being a kid, I just don't want to go through puberty twice. Puberty was a bitch and a half.", Cobra snorted.

"You already know that I don't mind either way, but I'll agree with Cobra on that. Him going through puberty was traumatizing.", Midnight snickered.

Just as Cobra was about to open his mouth and shoot a retort Midnight's way, a swift knock on the door made him pause. Everyone in the room, save for Makarov, turned stiffly towards the door. Unless someone had ordered a pizza at the worst possible time, Vorona and her guest had arrived.

With wide eyes, Lucy stiffly lifted herself from the couch and slowly made her way towards the door. She had no idea how this was going to go and she couldn't help but be a little nervous about opening her own front door.

Lucy undid the lock on her door and slowly turned the knob, flinching slightly when she heard the door click open. She slowly opened the door and peered outside, her eyes widening when she took in the form of the woman standing on her front step. Hair white as fresh fallen snow assaulted her eyes, her eyes squinting slightly at the brightness of the woman's hair. Violet eyes bore into her own, almost as if the were peering into the very depths of her soul. Lucy didn't dare allow her eyes to wander away fromt he woman's face, not even worried about what the woman was wearing.

"I'm assuming you are Vorona?", Lucy stuttered out, mentally cursing herself for not speaking firmly. She knew it wasn't her fault, she was nervous. It was only natural for her voice to be shaky.

"You assume correct. I think it would be best if we moved this into your home. I'm sure the entire town doesn't know about the little situation you have on your hands.", the woman responded with a smirk.

The blonde woman almost flinched when the woman responded to her question. Not out of fear or nerves, but because the woman's voice was laced with an emotion that she couldn't place. She didn't sound angry, but she didn't sound happy either. She didn't sound bored, but she didn't sound amused either. Lucy quickly shook the thoughts from her mind, now wasn't the time to think about such things. There were more pressing matters to deal with right then.

"Of course, please, make yourself at home. Thank you for coming all this way.", Lucy nodded before opening the door wider and gesturing for the woman to enter her home. She idly wondered where this woman's guest was though. She was sure that they would make an appearance at some point though.

Lucy led the woman into her living room as quickly as she could without showing off the sheer amount of nervousness that was radiating off her body. She didn't know this woman or what she was capable of, and now she was in her home with the people she loved most in the world. She rounded the corner into her living room and instantly felt her breath leave her lungs and the amount of tension that seemed to engulf the room. She knew that everyone was a little on edge about the entire situation, but she hadn't expect this woman's arrival to put her family even more on edge. She quickly shot the Twins and her sons a pleading look, silently begging them not to pounce on the woman. They didn't know if this woman was the answer that they were seeking and if she wasn't, they'd be assaulting an innocent woman. The blonde woman let out a small sigh of relief when she saw all four males' shoulders relax a fraction at her pleading look.

Without further delay, Lucy returned her attention to the woman standing mere inches behind her. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the Twin Dragons lifted themselves from their chairs and moved to stand behind the couch. She felt her heart warm as she saw the two men hover over her boys protectively, ready to pounce at even the slightest hit of hostility.

"Please excuse their hostility, I'm sure you can understand why they are a little on edge.", Lucy murmured apologetically before gesturing for the woman to take a seat on one of the newly vacated chairs in her living room. Vorona silently nodded at the blonde and wisely took the chair furthest from the Twins and Lucy's children.

"Before we begin, I just have one question for you, Ms. Vorona.", Makarov spoke up as Lucy took her seat between her two boys. His old heart swelled with adoration and pride as he watched the happy family stand together in these times of hardship.

"Of course, I am here to answer all of your questions, after all. That is why you have called me here, is it not?", the white haired woman responded, her voice trailing across the room like a whisper in the wind.

"You informed me that you would be bringing a guest with you when we spoke last.", the Guild Master hedged.

"Indeed I did, what is your point?", Vorona asked, her voice dripping with innocence.

"He wants to know where your damn partner is!", Sting snapped from his position behind the couch. He flinched a little when he felt Rogue's booted foot connect with his shin. He muttered a curse under his breath, a curse that the ebony haired Slayer didn't fail to hear. The blonde man heard his partner snort at his petty insult before both males turned their attention back to the white haired woman that was watching the small scene unfold with open amusement.

"He will be here in due time, he will not come until I call for him. Are you so eager to know who it is that I have brought with me?", the white haired woman murmured with a small smile.

Something about the woman's smile made Lucy cringe. She couldn't figure out why, but there was just something so unnatural about the woman's smile. Almost as if it didn't belong there. It was the strangest sight, a woman smiling almost gently, kindly. But her eyes shone with such intense rage. It was truly a sight for all of them to behold.

And it didn't fail to put them all a little more on edge.

"I think it would be wise not to tease this family right now, if you don't mind. They want answers that you will more than likely be able to answers. I ask that you tell them what they wish to know. Who is this man that you have brought along with you?", Makarov asked, his voice stern and laced with authority.

"Fine, fine. Deny me my fun. It isn't as though I get out very often. I have to create my own amusement.", the white haired woman almost pouted.

"Please, no more of these games. Who is it that you have brought with you? I would like to make sure that I feel comfortable having them here in my house. One stranger in my home is enough to put my family on edge. I don't want to risk one of them actually blowing a fuse, if you don't mind.", Lucy grunted, her eyes suddenly hard with irritation. She understood not having much for entertainment in your life, but now was hardly the time for fun and games.

"If you are that concerned about it...I suppose I could call them in here. I have a feeling that you will have a lot more questions for me once I tell you who it is." the woman sighed with a small nod.

"You're here to answer all of our questions, you said so yourself. Now please, who is it that you have brought with you?", Rogue spoke up, his voice laced with well practiced calmness. While he may have looked calm and collected on the outside, how he felt on the inside was a whole different story. His gut rolled with anticipation. He had no idea who was going to walk through the door within the next few seconds. He felt his partner stiffen next to him and saw that Midnight and Cobra had tensed as well. It seemed that he wasn't the only one thinking the same thing.

The group fell into silence as they waited for Vorona to make her next move.

But what she said next shocked them all, even the elderly Guild Master who was completely convinced that he had seen everything in his time as a wizard.

"Natsu, you can come in now, darling.", Vorona called out.

* * *

 **Alright, so a bit of a cliff hanger! Hopefully I won't make you guys wait almost three weeks for another update. I feel like such a dick for taking so long. But as you all know, real life comes first. My life is slowing down a little, so I should have more time on my hands now. Hopefully. Please god, let me have some down time!**

 **I do not use a beta, so please excuse any mistakes I may have missed while editing!**

 **So, Vorona has arrived. :)**

 **What the hell is she calling for Natsu for?**

 **Why does Natsu know Vorona?**

 **Just what was that mission that Makarov sent him on?**

 **Why do I ask these questions at the end of every chapter?**

 **The world may never know the answer to that last question.!**

 **But anyway, if you want to know the answers to most of those questions, I guess you'll just have to stick around and find out. :)**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, I am so sorry that this took so long for me to get out. Life got a bit rough for awhile there and I pretty much lost all interest in writing. I fell into a fit of a depressive funk, which is something that almost never happens to me. Threw myself a wonderful pity party and wallowed in it for a good month and a half or so. Finally decided enough was enough and that it was time to get my shit together. And now here we are, with a new chapter. Finally, right? I'm hoping that life will calm its ass and let me breathe a little so I can continue writing these chapters for you guys! Again, sorry about the wait! Hopefully the wait was worth it.**

 **Keep in mind guys, there is only one more chapter left after this. Then, I'll be taking some time to get the first couple chapters of the sequel written before I start posting it! I think that's enough chatter, no?**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story!**

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper.**

* * *

Previously;

 _"You're here to answer all of our questions, you said so yourself. Now please, who is it that you have brought with you?", Rogue spoke up, his voice laced with well practiced calmness. While he may have looked calm and collected on the outside, how he felt on the inside was a whole different story. His gut rolled with anticipation. He had no idea who was going to walk through the door within the next few seconds. He felt his partner stiffen next to him and saw that Midnight and Cobra had tensed as well. It seemed that he wasn't the only one thinking the same thing._

 _The group fell into silence as they waited for Vorona to make her next move._

 _But what she said next shocked them all, even the elderly Guild Master who was completely convinced that he had seen everything in his time as a wizard._

 _"Natsu, you can come in now, darling.", Vorona called out._

* * *

The room immediately fell into silence as Vorona's words rang out through the room. Never in a million years would they have guessed that Natsu would have been the one that the woman had brought along with her. Countless questions swam through everyone's minds as they attempted to make sense of the situation unfolding in the living room.

What was Natsu doing with this woman?

Was the pink haired mage turned into a child too?

Was this woman even behind Cobra and Midnight's childlike forms?

Were there any other surprises in store for them today?

Everyone probably agreed that more surprises wouldn't be welcomed at that moment.

The mage's were brought out of their question-filled minds as they heard the soft pattering of footsteps coming from the direction of the kitchen. Fast than anyone could have foreseen, the entirety of the rooms occupants turned their heads towards the direction of the footsteps. Each set of eyes in the room went wide at the sight that greeted them.

Lucy didn't think her eyes could widen anymore than they already had as she took in the sight of her former teammate. While his appearance had not changed and he had not been turned into a child, he almost seemed calmer than the last time she had seen him. She watched in silence as he calmly walked into her living room from the direction of her her kitchen. She idly wondered if he'd been quietly raiding her fridge until he'd been summoned. Part of her tossed the idea aside considering Natsu didn't exactly know how to eat quietly.

Then again, nobody had even sensed his presence within the house until the strange woman in her living room had called for him.

The pink haired male silently made his way through the living room and stopped once he'd reached Vorona's side, observing his surroundings with silent disinterest. The other Fairy Tail wizards in the room couldn't help but find it strange that he hadn't greeted any of them with his normal toothy smile. The fact that Happy wasn't by his side seemed odd as well. It was rare that the fire mage and the blue Exceed were seen apart. Questions flashed through the minds of the wizards but decided to stay quiet as they waited for the woman to continue now that Natsu had entered the room.

"I can see that you are all quite confused with the fact that Natsu has been with me all this time. The looks on your faces show your curiosity and confusion.", the white haired woman practically purred, a small smile flashing across her lips. It was clear to the mages in the room that the woman was clearly enjoying herself.

"I thought that would be fairly obvious that we would be confused. Natsu hasn't exactly been present in the guild for quite some time. We were all under the impression that he was on a job that Master had given him.", Rogue spoke up, effectively breaking the silence the Fairy Tail mages had fallen into.

"At first, he really was on a job that your guild master had assigned him as a way for him to get away from the guild for a time. I happened for come across him shortly after he finished his little mission. I explained everything that had happened with the Poison Slayer and the Master of Nightmares over there. Naturally, he didn't believe a word that left my mouth until I showed him exactly what I am capable of.", Vorona replied with a small shrug.

"And just what is it that you are capable of? Are you outright admitting that you were the one that turned Cobra and Midnight into children and took away their memories?", Lucy asked, her voice shaking with barely withheld emotion. Emotions raged through her veins in angry swirls, her self control barely hanging on by a thread. There were so many questions she had and so many answers that she yearned for. She had been patient for far too long and her willingness to remain patient was slowly dwindling away.

If the strange woman didn't start explaining herself soon, the blonde woman refused to be held responsible for her actions if she resorted to force. As far as she could tell, this woman had done something to her children against her will, and she had every right do be pissed off.

"Since you insist on knowing, yes I was the one that reverted those two to their childlike states. But allow me to say this, there was no ill intent behind what I did to them.", the white haired woman admitted slowly.

"Then what was your intent when you essentially mind fucked us and stole our adult bodies from us? Why didn't we get a say in what happened to us? Who the hell are you to decide what is best for myself of Midnight?", Cobra snapped, his lips slowly curling back into an angry snarl.

"I would also like to ask why you chose to do this to us. While I wouldn't change meeting Lucy in the way that we have for anything, I would like to know why we were not given a choice in the matter. Why us? What made you decide that we would be the ones that would go through something like this? Are we that only ones that are currently sitting in the bodies they had as children? I think you should start giving us some answers, I don't think a few of the people in the world are going to hang onto their patience for much longer.", Midnight asked, his crimson eyes zoning in on the woman.

"I do believe that I just admitted to being the one behind your current state, I would suggest that you listen when people are speaking. Especially when it is something as important as this. To answer to your question, I chose you because you two were lost, alone, and afraid. While you may not have realized it yourselves, you were truly on a path that would lead you towards nothing but unhappiness. As your red eyed friend stated, he wouldn't change meeting the blonde one for anything. Do you feel the same way, child?", Vorona responded calmly, ignoring Midnight's questions for the moment, and focusing her attention on Cobra.

"No, I wouldn't change meeting Lucy for anything. She took us into her home, treated us like people, like her children. She gave us the only taste of family life that Midnight and myself have ever had during our time in this life. I know our lives weren't ideal before we became children, but we were surviving.", Cobra responded, his eyes flashing with anger.

"You call it surviving, but anybody else would consider it merely existing. You two were going through life day by day with no plans for the future. Neither of you knew what tomorrow would bring and held no expectations for yourselves. Were you truly happy living a life where you didn't know if you would have a bed to sleep in that night? Not knowing if you would have a meal the next day? Were you happy not knowing if you would be hunted down and slaughter like mere animals when the sun rose from its slumber?", Vorona questioned, her eyes hardening with determination.

Lucy, the Twins, Natsu, and Makarov watched silently as the woman slowly spelled everything to the boys. While she hadn't gotten to answering Midnight's questions, she was partially answering them as she explained her reasoning to them. It broke Lucy's heart as she listened to Vorona's reasoning, and if she was honest with herself, she was almost grateful for the second chance she had granted her boys. Even though she had only had the boys with her for a short time, she already couldn't picture her life without them by her side. The blonde woman didn't know if she would be able to function anymore if she were to wake up the next day and not find Cobra or Midnight in their home.

Picturing her life without Cobra, Midnight, Rogue, and Sting was almost physically painful to think about, so she quickly pushed the thought from her mind and focused on the conversation happening in front of her. She didn't want to miss anything that was being said because she trapped herself within her own thoughts. Personal feelings could wait, this was about her boys right now.

The young blonde watched as Cobra opened his mouth to spit out an answer, only to be interrupted by Midnight.

"I won't deny that you have made quite a few valid points. If you think about it logically, we truly were just existing in a world where there was no direction. But that still leaves the question of why, why did you choose to help us? I can only imagine that there are people out there that were a whole lot worse off than we were.", Midnight pointed out calmly. He prided himself on the fact that he was doing a better job of containing his emotions than his maroon haired brother. He didn't even flinch when he fel Cobra's foot connect with his shin. He supposed he deserved it in a way.

"Your question comes with a simple answer. I chose to revert you two back into children and erase your memories because I couldn't allow one of the Chosen One's to be thrown into the abyss of despair. Nor could I allow the one he held closest to his heart to fade away without him by his side. You two are connect in more ways than you even realize. The reason I took your memories was because I gave you a chance to truly experience childhood, instead of the misery you were forced to endure the first time around. And really, if I had approached you and suggested all this to you, would you have accepted my offer?", Vorona answered easily, not missing a beat.

The room fell into silence again as everyone in the room processed everything that the white haired woman had just told them. When they all thought about it, they all silently agreed that they never would have accepted such an offer. If somebody they'd never met or heard of had suggested such a thing to them, they would have thought them to be completely insane. They never would have given this woman the time of day.

"I see your point. I can easily say that no, I wouldn't have accepted your offer. I would have thought you were completely insane.", Midnight admitted.

"I would have thought you were completely fucking nutty, lady. I still think you're fucking nutty.", Cobra snorted.

"Language, Cobra.", Lucy muttered under her breath, not able to help herself.

"Yes, mother.", Cobra grunted.

"I have a question for you, if you wouldn't mind.", Rogue spoke up, breaking his silence. He silently wondered how his blonde haired partner had managed to keep his mouth shut the entire time this conversation had been going on. Usually, the blonde Slayer wasn't able to keep his big mouth shut.

"And what would your question be?", Vorona asked, not taking her eyes off the two young boys.

"I suppose it's more like two questions, but whatever. Why is Natsu traveling with you and why has he not uttered a word since his arrival?", the ebony haired man asked, his eyes flickering over to the pink haired male.

"I was wondering when someone would ask me that. The answer is simple, he travels with me because he chose to do so. He is curious about what being one of the Chosen One's entails and wishes to do what he can to help. As for why he hasn't said anything, that would be a question to ask him.", the woman shrugged in a bored fashion.

"Fine, Natsu, why haven't you had the decency to greet your fellow guild members?", Rogue sighed, turning his attention fully towards his fellow Slayer.

"Haven't had much to say.", the pink haired man responded with a small shrug.

"I find that hard to believe, child. You have been gone for quite some time and you failed to check in with me after you completed the job I assigned you. I think you have a lot more to say than you think you do.", Makarov spoke up, his face the perfect picture of calmness. He truly believed that the pink haired male had something to say to the group, but was choosing to keep his silence. Natsu's reasoning for staying silent though was a complete mystery, even to the elderly guild master.

"I'd like to think that what Natsu has or doesn't have to say could wait. I think we should keep focusing on what the hell is going on with Cobra and Midnight. As far as I'm concerned, their situation is a little more important than Natsu keeping his mouth shut for more than twelve and a half seconds.", Rogue suggested. He couldn't help but smirk a little when he saw Sting, Lucy, and the boys nod their heads slightly in agreement.

"I agree with the one who controls the shadows. As you know, I turned you both into children against your wills, and for that I do apologize. But I do hope that you can see now why I did what I did. I not only did it to protect you from the horrors of the world, but to protect you from the destructive natures that you had trapped yourselves in. Through this transformation, you have been given the chance to experience the love of a family. Something that I am sure that both of you have craved for through the course of your lives, whether you realized it or not.", Vorona explained with a small nod of her head, her gaze never wavering from Cobra or Midnight's position on the couch.

"We understand why you did it, and I personally don't blame you. If I'm being honest, I don't think I'd still be alive if I hadn't been changed into a child. I think my memories being stripped from me actually gave me the chance to truly experience life. I've never felt this happy and secure in my entire life. As an adult, all I was capable of was making people miserable and stripping them of their happiness, even their very lives sometimes. I realize now that I have become a better person. I feel like a completely different person now.", Midnight admitted sheepishly, his pale cheeks tinting red with embarrassment. He knew he felt this way in his heart and soul, but never imagined he'd ever admit such things out loud in front of the people he now considered to be his family.

"I'm pretty sure I'm in the same boat as Midnight. I probably wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for being changed into a child and being found by Lucy. We've learned so much in the short time that we've been with her. While it has only been a couple of months, it feels like we are exactly where the hell we need to be. She doesn't judge us for our pasts, even though we've caused her so much fucking pain in the past. And it wasn't only her, we've hurt everyone in Fairy Tail in some way, shape, or form. We've hurt countless people and she never once looked at us with horror or disgust. She welcomed us not only into her home, but the guild she considers family as well.", Cobra sighed out, a small, rare smile gracing his lips for a few short moments before his usual scowl took up residence on his lips once more.

"I have seen these children grow from the people they once were during their time in my guild. They have shown compassion for their fellow man. They've helped people in need. They've shown restraint when it was hard to do so. They've learned to accept their pasts and the fact that they have made mistakes. They have earned the forgiveness and acceptance from almost everyone in the guild and in this town. I truly believe that Lucy has been able to help these boys better themselves with the help of Sting and Rogue.", Makarov nodded in agreement.

"Other than a few fuck ups, these two have shown that they truly want to change. They know that they could never change or take back the shit they did in the past, but neither can Rogue or myself. He and I both did some messed up shit in the past, but we were forgiven by Lucy and her guild as well. Blondie has shown these two nothing but love and acceptance. I didn't know them during their time in a dark guild, but I've heard the stories. From what I know, they did some seriously shitty things to people in the past, but I don't look at them as monsters, none of us do. Cobra and Midnight are our family now and I wouldn't change them for the world.", Sting smirked, his aqua colored eyes shimmering with determination.

"Those two have done nothing but help people since Lucy came across them. She has not only helped them, but myself and Sting as well. She took us all in without hesitation and has shown us love and acceptance. I don't think I have ever met such a pure hearted person in all my life. The amount of lives she has changed is countless. The one thing I can't help wonder is, did you know that she would end up taking the boys in? Or was her presence in their lives totally a fluke?", Rogue asked, his eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Little did the ebony haired man know, he'd just asked the question that everyone in the room had been wondering silently to themselves.

Lucy looked at every person in the room with love radiating off her very being. She had never imagined that she'd made such a difference in any of their lives. She had never thought of herself as any different from anybody else. She had thought that she had been acting like any decent human being would. She knew that most people probably wouldn't house people in their homes that had tried to kill them in the past, but the blonde haired woman always prided herself of the fact that she didn't hold grudges against people.

As far as she was concerned, everyone screwed up and as long as they were willing to own up to their mistakes, they deserved forgiveness. No matter how horrible the sin they had committed was. In her eyes, everyone deserved a second chance.

"While this has been quite touching, I suppose I should answer your question. Yes, I knew that Lucy would end up taking the boys in. I also knew that she would take you and your blonde haired partner into her home as well. It is written in the stitches of time that the five of you would be together in the end. You five share an unbreakable bond that cannot be shattered by mere human abilities. It would take nothing short of a God to break the bond you five share.", Vorona explained with a small smile, the permanent rage in her eyes caused her smile to look more sinister than it was intended to be.

"I have two questions for you, if you wouldn't mind.", Lucy spoke up, her eyes hardening with her resolve. A lot of questions had been answered, but there were still two that remained unanswered.

And she was determined to get the answers for them.

"Go ahead and ask, child. That is why I am here, is it not?", the white haired woman smirked.

"Why did you refer to Cobra and Midnight as the Chosen ones, what does that mean exactly? And now that you have arrived, are you able to return them to their adult bodies if they wish to return to their normal states?", Lucy asked. She mentally cheered when her voice stayed completely steady and didn't waver once.

"Good questions, I was wondering when someone would work up the courage to ask them. To answer your first question, I referred to them as two of the Chosen Ones, because that is what they are. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with the answers for that. The answers you seek will come in time. You just have to be patient for a little longer.", Vorona explained, with a small shake of her head.

Even if she wanted to tell them of their destinies and the things that were planned for her future, she couldn't. She had already dabbled in their lives enough, she wasn't allowed to mettle in their affairs any more than she already had.

"And the other question?", Lucy pressed.

"To put it simply, yes, I can turn them back into their adult bodies. All they have to do is ask me and I would be happy to do it for them. I will not do it against their wills though. It is completely their choice. If they do choose to revert back to their adult selves, they will retain all of their memories that they had with you and any abilities they may have learned during their time as children will stay as well. They only thing that will change in their height and they'll go through puberty again. Thankfully, it'll only last a moment.", Vorona explained with a small, genuine smile.

Lucy nodded in acceptance to her answer and turned her gaze towards her boys,"It's completely your choice what you would like to do. If you wish to stay children, I don't mind and you'll still be welcome here. If you choose to return to your normal bodies, the same thing applies. Nothing will change but your height.", the blonde smirked towards to two males on her couch.

"Well, since you're offering, I'd like to return to my adult body. While being a kid and being able to experience childhood, I can't access my full power when I'm this puny. Not to mention, I kind of miss being tall. Being the same height as everyone else's ass kinda blows.", Cobra snickered. He already knew that if the chance arose for him to return to normal, he would take it without hesitation. Sure, being a kid had its perks, but an adult had even more. Especially in the wizarding world.

"I would also like to return to my normal body, too. I agree that being a child and knowing what it's like to grow up like a normal kid is nice, but I kind of miss looking like myself. I want to be able to protect Lucy and my family. It's a bit hard to do it when I'm four and a half feet tall.", Midnight nodded in agreement.

Vorona nodded in acceptance before raising herself from her seat,"I want you both to know that once this is done, there will be no turning back. This will probably be the last time any of you ever see me again. The only exception being Natsu since he has chosen to return to my home with me. He wishes to remain a member of the guild, but he will not be stationed in Magnolia. Do you find this agreeable, Master Makarov?", she asked with a small smile.

"As long as that is what he wishes to do, I will not stop one of my children from doing something that they wish to do. Natsu, do you truly wish to follow this woman and help her with whatever cause she is working towards? Whatever you decide to do, you will have the entire guild and myself backing you and your decision.", Makarov answered with a nod before turning his attention towards the pink haired mage.

"I really do wish to follow Vorona. I feel like if I follow her and return with her that I can truly find my place in this world. I'll be taking Happy with me if he wants to come with, but I won't force him to leave the only home he has ever known. My only hope is that if he chooses to stay here, that someone from the guild will watch over him for me. I don't think I could sleep at night if I knew he was staying in our house all alone.", Natsu explained with a nod of his head.

Makarov nodded in acceptance before returning his attention back towards the white haired woman. The elderly man knew that there had to be something that the strange woman wasn't telling them, but he had a feeling that they would find out soon enough what she was planning. She had already stated that she could not reveal anything else to them and that Lucy and her family would know their destinies soon enough.

But that didn't stop him from worrying about the guild members that he looked at like they were his own children.

"If you are all satisfied, I think it would be best to reverse the spell I have cast on The Snake and the Crow.", Vorona smiled.

 _'Snake and Crow? Could that be another clue about their futures?',_ Lucy silently wondered.

There were so many questions that still needed answering, but everyone in the room knew in their hearts that the answers would have to be found. The answers the were seeking couldn't simply be handed to them. They would have to search for the answers themselves. They all knew that they would work together to do what needed to be done. They would walk towards the future as one, walking hand and hand towards whatever tomorrow held for them. They would face any foe that came there way together.

They would fight onward without looking back.

"Let's get this over with.", Midnight nodded firmly.

Cobra silently nodded his head in agreement and braced himself for the change that was about to occur.

The white haired woman nodded her head before bowing her head towards the two males. She chanted in a language that only Freed would have been able to understand under her breath. When her voice trailed over the final word of the incantation, she raised her hands towards Cobra and Midnight. Her uniquely colored eyes flashed with magical power before both boys were enveloped in a blinding white light.

Lucy felt her body tense as the light surrounded her boys. She didn't understand any of the words that the woman had spoken and couldn't tell if the blinding light was truly changing Cobra and Midnight back into the normal bodies. She bit her lip as she waited for what felt like an eternity for the light to fade away.

When the light finally faded away, the blonde woman let out a sigh of relief.

Standing proudly next to each other stood the naked forms of Cobra and Midnight. Normally, their adult nudity would have warranted them a Lucy Kick to the skull, but she was too happy to care about that at moment. All she cared about was that they were finally back to normal. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She shot them both a huge, toothy smile when they turned their heads to look at her. Tears formed in the blonde woman's eyes when she saw the soft, genuine smiles plastered to each of their faces.

"We're finally back to normal...", Midnight began, his crimson eyes wide with surprise.

"We can finally show the world that we've really changed, that we can make a difference.", Cobra nodded as he lifted a hand to his face, feeling to see if he still had both of his eyes. While he had willingly given up one of his eyes to gain more power, having them both back where they belonged gave him a feeling a peace. Almost as if he was finally whole again.

"I'm so happy for both of you.", Lucy whispered, her tears trailing down her cheeks in a steady flow. She made no move to wipe them away, she would never wipe away such happy tears. She had dreamed of this day for what seemed like an eternity. Never before did she think that she would ever see her boys back to the way they weren't meant to be.

"It's going to take some getting used to to realize that you aren't little shrimps anymore.", Sting joked with a snicker.

"No kidding, I'm taller than you now.", Cobra smirked.

"I'm still short as hell though.", Midnight sighed with a mock pout.

"Don't worry, Midnight, we can be midgets together. I hear chicks dig white, skinny, short dudes.", Lucy winked with a laugh.

As the family joked back and forth, a true smile graced Vorona's lips. Never did she think that her experiment would have worked so well. She had finally been able to help someone instead of completely destroying their lives. It gave her true hope for the future. She was aware that the family of five really had no idea what the future held for them, but she had a feeling that it didn't matter. She could tell that they would face any future problems together and that nobody would be lost in the winds of time. She finally felt hope for the future and was comfortable with leaving things they were now.

The white haired woman turned her gaze towards her new partner and silently gestured for the door, wordlessly telling Natsu that it was time to go. When he nodded in agreement, to duo silently exited the house without anybody but Makarov noticing them. Makarov supposed that it was better this way. With a soft smile towards the loving family in the room, the guild master noiselessly made his way out of their home and made the walk back to his guild in silence.

A warm smile was plastered on the elderly man's lips the entire way back.

* * *

An hour had passed since Cobra and Midnight had been changed back into their adult forms and they couldn't be happier about that fact.

"So, what do you think that woman meant by us being the Chosen Ones and calling me a Snake and Midnight a Crow?", Cobra asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I honestly have no idea, but whatever it is, we'll take this on as a family.", Sting smirked.

"I agree, we have stuck together through this, and we will continue facing the future together, as a family.", Rogue nodded.

"I honestly don't think we could face this destiny of ours, whatever it is, without you guys.", Midnight admitted with a small smile.

"We wouldn't let you face it alone anyway. As far as I'm concerned, you're still my kids.", Lucy agreed with a bark of laughter.

"Yes, mother.", Cobra and Midnight snickered in unison.

The rest of the evening was spent joking, laughing, and discussing their plans for the future. They may not have known what the future held for them, but whatever came their way, they would face it together as a family.

"By the way...what the hell are your real names anyway?", Sting asked out of curiosity.

"Erik.", Cobra shrugged.

"MacBeth.", Midnight muttered.

"Wow, I was expecting something more...I don't know...badass.", the blonde Slayer muttered.

"Whatever, Bumblebooty.", Rogue snorted.

"I'd shut up now before Sting makes a horrible attempt to roast you again, ShadowBooty.", Lucy snorted back.

Within an instant, the entire family was reduced to wonderful bursts of laughter that shook the walls.

They were finally at ease.

They didn't have anything to worry about anymore.

 _ **At least, they thought they would be safe, even if it was only for a little while..**_

* * *

 **Alright guys, I just want to go ahead an apologize again for taking FOREVER to get this chapter out. I really didn't mean to be gone for as long as I was. On the bright side, there's only one more chapter for this part of the story. It won't be very long, so it shouldn't take very long for me to get written. My goal is to have it done by the weekend, maybe early next week. I have a few things going on for the rest of the week, so my writing time will be a little limited.**

 **But hey, you guys got a chapter, didn't you? I even made it longer than I was expecting to make it lol.**

 **Please excuse any mistakes I may have missed during editing, I do not use a beta, so I don't always catch all my mistakes!**

 **So what exactly does being the Chosen Ones entail?**

 **What do the names Crow and Snake have to do with their destinies?**

 **Why did Natsu really choose to follow Vorona?**

 **Just what is that woman hiding?**

 **I guess you'll have to get your answers once the sequel comes out, won't you?**

 **The next chapter is going to be the epilogue of sorts, so keep your eyes open!**

 **As always, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	15. Epilogue

**Okay, I just want to start off by saying that I'm sorry that this took so long to get out. Life got hectic once again and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. The amount of toxic bullshit in my life right now is absolutely astounding. But I won't bore you guys with the details, that isn't what we are here for, after all.**

 **At long last we are finally at the end of this story. The final chapter. The ending. Oh God, I may cry. This is by far the biggest project that I have ever written and I'm proud to see it finally come to a close. While it will be a bit weird not writing this story anymore, I'm happy to say that there will be a sequel in the future. When it will be written, I can't say. I have a lot of ongoing stories right now that I would like to get caught up in before I start writing a new one, I hope you guys understand!**

 **One last thing! I'm aware that this chapter is extremely short. With a sequel coming in the future, I didn't want to give too much of their futures away! Hope you guys enjoy in regardless!**

 **Anyway!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, just the plot to this story.**

 **If you enjoyed, please favorite, follow, and review!**

 **S Lyubov'yu,**

 **Casper.**

* * *

Previously;

 _The rest of the evening was spent joking, laughing, and discussing their plans for the future. They may not have known what the future held for them, but whatever came their way, they would face it together as a family._

 _"By the way...what the hell are your real names anyway?", Sting asked out of curiosity._

 _"Erik.", Cobra shrugged._

 _"MacBeth.", Midnight muttered._

 _"Wow, I was expecting something more...I don't know...badass.", the blonde Slayer muttered._

 _"Whatever, Bumblebooty.", Rogue snorted._

 _"I'd shut up now before Sting makes a horrible attempt to roast you again, ShadowBooty.", Lucy snorted back._

 _Within an instant, the entire family was reduced to wonderful bursts of laughter that shook the walls._

 _They were finally at ease._

 _They didn't have anything to worry about anymore._

 _ **At least, they thought they would be safe, even if it was only for a little while..**_

* * *

Before they knew it, three months had passed since Cobra and Midnight had been returned to their adult bodies. In that short amount of time, a lot had happened for not only them, but the people they had come to look at as their family. All of them still spent almost every moment together, but it wasn't the same as it had been when Cobra and Midnight had been stuck in their childlike forms. Once they had returned to their real bodies, quite a bit had changed.

While both males still lived called Lucy's house their home, both of them had found their own apartments a short ways away from her house. Granted, they mostly just used them for sleeping most of the time. The furniture in their apartments was sparse and food could rarely be found in the fridge and cupboards. Dinners were always eaten at Lucy's table, even if she was away on a mission with one of the twins.

That was another thing that had changed over the course of the last few months. Lucy never went on solo jobs anymore. She was always accompanied by at least two members of their little family. If the job looked like it was going to prove difficult, the entire family would join in on the job. It wasn't that they viewed the blonde haired woman as weak or as someone that was unable to protect herself, it was that they couldn't bare the thought of her being injured or overpowered without them their to back her up.

Even though Cobra and Midnight had chosen to obtain their own apartments, the Twins had chosen to stay in the house with Lucy, much to her joy. During Cobra and Midnight's time as children, the bond between Lucy and the Twins had become damn near invincible. Especially her bond with Rogue. While they still hadn't found the time to go on their date, they weren't in any hurry to get out into the dating world. Lucy had come to realize that she didn't need all the fancy dates and the expensive gifts. Just having to the ebony haired Slayer around was enough for her. Both of them had decided that it would be easier to leave the labels until they were all settled back into the swing of having somewhat normal lives.

Because God forbid a wizard had a totally normal life.

Life back at the guild hall had steadily started to go back to normal as well for everyone. Now that everyone had been completely informed on everything that had happened before Cobra and Midnight had come into Lucy's care, they had become even more accepting of the former dark mages. Both Cobra and Midnight had begun to form bonds with their guild mates now that they didn't feel as if a giant target had been painted onto their backs.

Due to his sailor like language and his odd obsession with maiming people and violence, Cobra and Gajeel had become fast friends and were rarely seen apart from each other. The only time people saw them apart was when the Poison Slayer was with Lucy on a job or when the blonde insisted that everyone have a giant slumber party in her home. Most of the guild joked that they wouldn't be surprised if the Iron and Poison Slayers eventually became and item, which irritated the males to no end.

Midnight on the other hand, had been quickly scooped up by the Thunder Legion. Although he was a man of very few words and even less facial expressions, he fit right in with the quirky group of mages. Nobody had seen his friendship with Bickslow coming either. If anything, everyone had expected him to be more drawn to Freed and his silence. But in the end, it had been Backslow that had scooped him right up.

Both mages were eternally grateful that rumors of a future relationship weren't floating around about them.

Something about the thought of the Reflector mage and Bickslow doing anything remotely romantic made everyone shiver at the mental image.

* * *

Since his departure from the guild, Natsu had only checked in with the guild a handful of times. He was unable to tell them what he and Vorona were up to and was more interested in what his guild mates had been up to. When he heard about the friendships that were blooming with Lucy's boys, a small smile had graced his features. The true Natsu was truly starting to come back, something that everyone in Fairy Tail was grateful for.

The pink haired mage's calls were always brief, but everyone in the guild understood. While they had no idea as to what he was doing, they knew that he was doing whatever it was he was doing to protect them. The guild had been informed of the prophecy that surrounded Lucy and her little family and they all suspected that Natsu's departure from the guild was due to whatever the future held for them all.

Lucy's friendship with Natsu wasn't the same as it had been during their time as partners, but they knew that there would always be an unbreakable bond between them. While they didn't always see eye to eye, they both knew that they would always be there for each other. Whether it was something extremely small or something that could shake the earth to its very core.

* * *

And so, time began to pass peacefully for the obnoxiously loud guild known as Fairy Tail. Well, as peacefully as it could with their reputations. Fights were still a daily thing, but nobody complained about them. Over the course of the next few months, so many wonderful things happened that Lucy had begun to wonder if her face had finally frozen in the form of a beaming smile.

Gray and Juvia had finally become a couple shortly after the guild had been able to relax.

Jellal had been cleared of his charges and was now a free man. He had joined Fairy Tail shortly after just so he could be with Erza, much to Cobra's confusion. The maroon haired mage was completely convinced that the blue haired Heavenly Body mage was a closet masochist who wanted to be slapped around with a giant hammer.

Master had finally announced that he was retiring as Guild Master and that Laxus would be taking his place, but to the Lightening mages teams delight. Lucy swore that she could still smell Freed's torrent of happy tears in the air. The amount of tears that had left his body reminded everyone of Juvia's tearful fits, much to the blue haired woman's amusement.

But while they all knew that the peace would not last forever, the entire guild was determined not to let whatever the future held for them control them. Until the day that they were called to arms came, they would take it day by day and enjoy their lives to the fullest.

Nobody could have guessed that it would be years until their fates finally caught up to them, and that the peace was finally going to end once more. Nobody could have imagined the darkness that the world harbored in its very core.

* * *

 **And that's the end of this story, my dudes. I can't believe we've finally reached the end of this journey. I know that this chapter was pretty much filled with information, but that's alright, yeah? I do not know when I'll be starting the sequel, but I plan to start getting it into the works as soon as I've caught myself up on some of my other stories.**

 **Which story am I going to focus on first? Fuck if I know. xD**

 **I guess I'll just stare at them and wait for one of them to scream 'pick me, pick me!'.**

 **I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has taken time out of their day to read and review my work, you guys make doing this so much more worth it. Whether it's one person reading and reviewing or it's a hundred people, it means a lot. :')**

 **Once I have a date set for the sequels premier, I will post another chapter to this story to announce it, so make sure to favorite this story so you'll get a notification!**

 **Once again, I do not use a beta, so please excuse any mistakes I may have missed while editing. Once I find time, I plan to go back and edit these chapters again, so bare with me.**

 **And for the final time, if you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it, please drop a review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Until Next Time! 3**


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